PUBG MOBILE Esports viewing figures in 2020 have already more than doubled those of 2019, passing 1 billion views and 100 million hours. 

According to Director of PUBG MOBILE Global Esports, James Yang, figures, from all official matches including PUBG MOBILE Club Open, PUBG MOBILE Pro League, and PUBG MOBILE World League, show that the title is surging in popularity globally – and viewership figures from the upcoming Global championship (PMGC) are yet to be added to the totals. 

Kicking off on 24 November and running through until 20 December, with a Final set for early 2021,  the PMGC will see 24 teams from around the world compete for a $2M USD prize pool.

In total, the PUBG MOBILE Esports ecosystem boasted an incredible $5M prize pool in 2020 – double that of 2019 – and next year’s is expected to be even bigger. Specific details are set to be announced next week at the start of the PMGC. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Despite India banning the title in September, as part of its escalating dispute with China, PUBG MOBILE’s popularity is growing rapidly in many markets, so it’s no surprise that it’s esports ecosystem is attracting record viewership. 

So far, PUBG MOBILE has really found itself in the right place at the right time, benefiting from the proliferation of affordable, but gaming-capable, mobile devices across developing markets. But, can the title keep its position over the long-term? Will innovative new mobile titles capture gamers’ imaginations? 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Brazilian esports organisation paiN Gaming has revealed smartphone brand Motorola as its latest sponsor. 

The six-month partnership will see Motorola’s google featured on the jersey’s of painN’s League of Legends (LoL), Valorant, Free Fire, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), and Clash Royale players, and will also cover various activations promoting the Moto G9 Plus phone.

News of paiN Gaming’s first smartphone sponsorship deal comes just days after the organisation announced a sponsorship deal with local fintech company Ame Digital. 

In addition to Ame Digital, Motorola will also be joining partners like Coca-Cola, TIM Live, BMW, Tinder, Piticas, Western Digital, and BS2 in paiN Gaming’s sponsorship line-up. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With the meteoric rise of mobile gaming, it seems a no brainer for esports organisations to partner with smartphone brands. Just last month, China-based Nubia Technology was named as the first ever mobile phone partner of the BLAST Premier Counter-Strike Fall Series. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Esports infrastructure company Nerd Street Gamers (NSG) has announced a new subscription service. 

Nerd Street+ will give players access to live and digital weekly competitions, along with discounts on NSG’s monthly tournaments and camps, PC and console hours at participating locations, plus other “exclusive subscriber benefits”, for a $20 USD monthly fee. 

A lower-priced digital-only subscription will also be offered for just $5 per month, giving access to online tournaments and camps. 

The company is pitching Nerd Street+ as a way to give gamers of all skill levels a “gateway to a curated library of competitive opportunities and access the equipment needed to compete at the highest level.”

NSG says the new service will launch across all of its Localhost facilities, which Austin, Denver, Philadelphia, and St. Louis, and across selected partner venues, including Esports Stadium Arlington, the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas, Digital Battlegrounds in Orlando, Axis Reply in Atlanta, and Balance Patch in Boston. 

Introducing the new service CEO of Nerd Street Gamers, John Fazio, said:

“By curating competitive opportunities from a variety of platforms and unifying our partner venues alongside our own, we’re organizing the esports landscape and lowering the barrier of entry for gamers.

“Thanks to our rapidly growing network of venues empowering communities with competitive experiences that anyone can participate in, Nerd Street+ will ensure every gamer has an opportunity to take advantage of the life and career opportunities esports has to offer.”

While President of Esports Stadium Arlington, Jonathon Oudthone, added:

“Nerd Street Gamers has become synonymous with amateur esports in North America by building exceptional live and digital event experiences, and partnering with venues like Esports Stadium Arlington to reach more communities.

“Because of the company’s ability to produce high-quality events across a variety of platforms and games, the team is uniquely positioned to help organize the fragmented industry and build long term competitive ecosystems around local venues.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Subscription services are certainly nothing new in the world of video gaming, but Nerd Street does seem to be going the extra mile with this, especially with the $20 option, which seems remarkably good value compared to others – especially if you’re living close to one of the participating facilities. 

However, as with all such subscription services, it will clearly need to reach a ‘critical mass’ in terms of customers to make it financially viable in the long-term. Nerd Street is popular and does have a wide reach across America, so it’s possible. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Swedish esports organisation Team Alliance has announced plans to launch a fan token on Socios.com.

The first poll Team Alliance is planning to run, when the $ALL Fan Token has gone live on the voting and rewards platform, will give fans the opportunity to decide which game title the organisation should next enter. 

In addition to voting rights in polls, $ALL Fan Tokens will give their owners access to VIP rewards and exclusive club and sponsor promotions. The maximum supply of $ALL Fan Tokens will be capped at 5 million, with a limited number to be made available at $1 each in an initial flash sale.

Discussing plans Jonathan ‘Loda’ Berg, of Team Alliance, said:

“I am extremely excited to announce that we are partnering with Socios.com to launch $ALL Fan Tokens.

“We exist for our fans and we want to give them a direct say in key decisions, such as which games we pick up and what we feature on our team jerseys.  $ALL Fan Token will also give Alliance fans the chance to win a tonne of rewards and unique VIP experiences.

“The first poll, which will open as soon as we launch the $ALL Fan Token on Socios.com,  is going to set a new milestone for fan engagement in esports. There’s going to be more details about the launch date and that huge first poll soon. Make sure you’re ready to cast your vote!”

While CEO & Founder of Chiliz and Socios.com, Alexandre Dreyfus, added:

“We are delighted to welcome Team Alliance on board as the latest esports organization to join Socios.com.

“$ALL Fan Tokens are going to give fans a big say in the future of the organisation and real decision making power starting with the incredible first poll to choose which game Alliance will pick up a team in next. Fans can look forward to connecting with each other in Socios Chat, amazing VIP rewards plus exclusive promotions linked to Alliance and their sponsors”

Alliance will be the fourth esports organisation to launch a Fan Token on Socios.com, after OG, Team Heretics, and Natus Vincere. Several major football clubs, including FC Barcelona, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain, have also launch Fan Tokens on the platform. 

Team Alliance currently fields rosters in Apex Legends, Dota 2, Fortnite, Super Smash Bros, and TrackMania. 

AYO.NEWS says:

There’s another notch for Socios.com in the battle of the fan engagement platforms! One of Socios’ most potent competitors is Swiss SportsTech company Blocksport, which this week added its first Middle Eastern esports organisation, in the form of Jordan-based FATE Esports.

One things for sure, Socios.com has come a long way since we caught up with CEO and Founder, Alexandre Dreyfus, waaaaay back in March 2019! 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Epic Games has announced its Fortnite Marvel Knockout Super Series will culminate with a $1M final tournament on 21 November.

The final regular event of the series takes place today, 18 November, with the Venom Cup. Other events in the series included the Ghost Rider Cup and Black Widow Cup. Topping off the series will be the $1M Super Cup competition, which will be split into several regions. 

The 500 best players from Europe will receive prizes from $4K to $600K, the top 250 from North America – East prizes between $3.5K and $750K, the 100 best from North America – West, and Brazil will land between $3K and $750K, and the top 75 from Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania will net between $2.5K to $400K. 

In-game prizes like items and bonuses will also be awarded to players taking part in the event, which is open to any Fortnite player with sufficient in-game rank. 

Epic Games is funding the entire prize pool for the Super Cup, which is the final event in the Marvel Knockout Super Series – a circuit of Marvel-themed tournaments held since the release of the new Fortnite season in September. 

The $1M Super Cup will be broadcast on the official Fortnite YouTube and Twitch channels during the second round for the EU and NAE region. 

AYO.NEWS says:

What’s not to love about this? Marvel, Fortnite, and a million bucks! On a serious note though, it’s fantastic to see Epic stumping up so much cash for such an accessible series. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Subnation has been selected by GSD Group to act as Marketing Advisor, Event Partner, and Content Producer for Atari® Hotels.

Los Angeles-based Subnation, which last month attracted investment from Emmy Award-winning producer Jim Roush, works with global brands, esports leagues, industry events, government agencies, and educational institutions, to develop and execute integrated marketing programs and business strategies. The firm will now use its expertise to make GSD Group’s Atari® Hotels project a success. 

The project is the result of an exclusive licensing agreement with iconic entertainment brand Atari® – the company behind seminal video game properties including Asteroids®, Centipede®, and PONG®. According to GSD, Atari Hotels will offer guests a “unique hospitality experience inspired by, and built with, classic and modern video gaming culture in mind.”

Discussing the partnership Managing Partner at Atari Hotels / GSD Group, Napoleon Smith III, said: 

“Atari Hotels is at the forefront of experiential hospitality, bringing together gaming and esports with today’s culture, including fashion, music, technology, and art.

“Subnation knows how to bring these elements to life both on and offline. We’ve selected Subnation to collaboratively define and shape the unparalleled lifestyle that Atari Hotels captures.”

While Co-Founder & Chief Managing Director at Subnation, Doug Scott, added:

“We’re honored to be Atari Hotels marketing partner and delighted to establish their brand and creative vision for their properties.

“Subnation is uniquely positioned to develop and execute innovative brand partnerships and apply our long-standing gaming and esports knowledge to what will become a must-experience destination and industry hub for the next decade and beyond.”

The first two Atari Hotel locations are set to open in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Phoenix, Arizona in 2022, with more hotels following in Austin, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With COVID-19 crisis showing no signs of abating, it may seem brave to be investing in new hotels, but fingers crossed by the time they open in 2022 we’ll be back to normal. However, there’s no denying the Atari brand is enjoying a real renaissance, driven by the nostalgia of Millennials and Gen-Xers, and the curiosity of younger generations delving into video gaming history. The Atari resurgence isn’t limited to hotels either – there’s also the Atari Token! AMAZING. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.