Warner Bros. Games and NetherRealm Studios have announced the Mortal Kombat 11 Pro Kompetition will return for a second season.

Though the last season, which concluded in March, boasted a $250K prize pool and took place at various fighting game tournaments, the second season has a reduced $60K prize pool and has been forced to migrate to an entirely online format due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. 

The competition is being sponsored by peripherals brand Astro, and will be split into three divisions; North American League, InterKontinental Kombat, and Liga Latina – each broken down into local circuits to ensure technical issues lig lag are not a problem. Points earned in the local circuits will qualify players for regional championships. 

AYO.NEWS says:

While it’s disappointing to see yet another competition have to ditch in-person events, and the reduced prize pool isn’t going to get the pulses racing, it’s still good to see Warner Bros. and NetherRealm continue to support the Mortal Kombat esports ecosystem, and hopefully by the time it comes to season three, everything will be back on track. 

‘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.

The esports division of Belgian football team KRC Genk is set to compete in next year’s League of Legends Belgian League. 

KRC Genk, which competes in the Belgian Pro League, formed an esports division earlier this year, kicking off by competing in EA Sports’ FIFA. Now, after forming its own identity and creating an esports arena at the club’s stadium, KRC Genk Esports is set to enter the Belgian League – one of LoL’s European Regional Leagues (ERL). 

Discussing the news KRC Genk Esports Coordinator, Bram Bartels, said:

“KRC Genk Esports is leading in Belgium. That is why the step to League of Legends is a logical and strategic next step. The Belgian LoL competition will be given a new composition and will soon evolve into a closed formula, and KRC Genk Esports will not be missing.

“A nice bonus is that we join millions of young people worldwide who are active in this game. We expand our reach and thus come to the attention of an international target group.”

KRC Genk Esports has acquired one of the six spots available in the Belgian League, which boasts a €25K prize pool and is set to get underway in January 2021. The other five teams joining KRC Genk Esports will be KV Mechelen Esports, Sector One, Team 7AM, 4Elements Esports, and ION Squad. 

👀 https://t.co/DQlaZ4Ywwt

— KRC Genk Esports (@KRCGenkEsports) November 30, 2020

AYO.NEWS says:

With both KRC Genk Esports and KV Mechelen Esports coming from a football background, it will be interesting to see how they fare in League of Legends – which is about as far from the ‘FIFA comfort zone’ as it’s possible to get. Still, it’s good to see such enthusiasm for the Belgian League. 

‘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.

Bet4Fun, the new challenge app for mobile games, has raised €710K in a first funding round, led by French Business Angels network WeLike.

A new gaming app that defies established codes, Bet4Fun allows players to challenge each other and earn rewards by instantly playing against other players or their friends, in 1v1 or mode or tournaments, for free or for real money, on a variety of partner games. 

The Paris-based company says it will be using the new capital to recruit a technical team, develop new features, and prepare for its launch. 

Among the individual business angels backing the project are Alain Ilhe (Serial Entrepreneur-Investor and ex-board Voodoo), Jean-Thierry Augustin (ex CEO Eurosport and Sports Chairman of Discovery International), and Benjamin Sorge (ex-CEO Pokerstars Europe). 

The Bet4Fun app is available through the iOS Appstore, with multiple games already downloadable via the app itself or the Bet4Fun website. An Android version of the app is expected to be released in early 2021. 

An official launch will be announced in the coming weeks, with real money challenges to be activated in Spain, Austria, the UK, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Hungary, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, and Belgium.

AYO.NEWS says:

Hyper casual games that can be played socially or for real money are rapidly blurring the boundaries between traditional igaming and video gaming. 

At the same time as we’re seeing the rise of apps like Bet4Fun, we’re also seeing online casino game developers start to add elements of skill to random number generator-based games – all in the name of capturing, and holding, the attention of younger generations who expect far more interactivity and engagement in their entertainment. 

Reflecting this trend, earlier today we reported that casino platform provider SkillOnNet had announced the integration of Green Jade Games’ unique skill-based arcade titles. 

‘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.

Complexity Gaming has confirmed it is extending its partnership with World of Warcraft esports guild Limit. 

The Texas-based esports organisation originally partnered with Limit in October 2019, resulting in Complexity-Limit. Prior to the agreement, Limit had partnered with Red Bull for its Race to World First broadcasts and sponsorships. 

According to Complexity, the partnership has been extended after it proved successful at leveraging existing infrastructure and resources in the organisation to optimise performance and results for the guild. Next month, Complexity-Limit will be defending its player-vs-environment (PVE) raid title “Race to World First.” 

Complexity is based at The Star, located on the Dallas Cowboy’s campus in Frisco, Texas. It currently fields rosters in Apex Legends, CS:GO, FIFA, Fortnite, Hearthstone, Madden NFL, Magic: The Gathering Arena, and Valorant. 

MEDIAPRO and Liga de Videojuegos Profesional (LVP) are producing the third season of eLiga Portugal. 

The Spanish multimedia communications group’s Medialuso production company is producing the FIFA competition, with LVP handling sports management. 17 Liga NOS teams will be represented in the eLiga Portugal’s third season, which will run from this month through to April 2021’s $50K USD Grand Final. 

Commenting on the news CEO of LVP, Jordi Soler, said:

“We have been organising esports competitions around the world for more than 10 years and for us it’s an honor to be able to export our successful model to Portugal. Mediapro Portugal and LVP have gone all out on the project of the eLiga Portugal, and we are sure that it will become a benchmark competition among clubs and fans alike.”

While Executive Director of Liga Portugal, Tiago Madureira, added:

“The commitment of the Liga and our clubs in the esports business is accompanying global growth the sector has experienced, understanding the inherent importance of the presence in this territory as a communication portal with a young target and for who, in many cases, esports represents their main point of contact with our sport. We are very happy with this partnership with Mediapro and we are sure that it will be a great success and will result in a differentiating product in the market.”

The entire competition will be streamed on Twitch, while Portuguese TV channel Sport TV will also broadcast highlights. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With video gaming and esports witnessing explosive growth this year, in no small part thanks to the COVID-19 crisis, we think it’s safe to expect the third season of eLiga Portugal to be significantly bigger than its forerunners. From Malaysia to the Netherlands, and England to Malta, there’s no stopping the rise of FIFA leagues. 

‘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.

32 international teams have been selected for the annual Gazprom International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship Championship. 

Children from all over the world will compete for the title of Football for Friendship World Champions and for tickets to the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul. 

On 27 November the teams were determined in a live draw, during a broadcast which featured footballing legend and project ambassador Roberto Carlos, along with Adviser to the President of the Football Union of Russia Alexey Smertin, Head of Football Education Services at UEFA Frank Ludolph, and professional FIFA player, currently playing for FC Schalke 04, Tim “Latka” Schwartmann

Matteo de Venecia (Philippines), Kinley Deki Yangzom (Bhutan), Irintsu Rakotomamoni (Madagascar), and Evgenia Gorbunova (Russia) selected 32 international teams (8 groups of 4 teams each).

The initiative runs through to 9 December 2020, with the following scheduled:

• 30 Nov. – 4 Dec. – 2020 Online International Football for Friendship Forum and Award, featuring projects in the fields of children’s sports development.
• 28 Nov. – 9 Dec. – Online Football for Friendship International Children’s Press Center, where Young Journalists study and work.
• 28 Nov. – 6 Dec. – Online International Friendship Camp with a humanitarian and sports programme for children.
• 7-8 Dec. – Qualifying games of the 2020 Football for Friendship eWorld Championship.
• 9 Dec. – Football for Friendship Grand Final, where the winners and lucky ticket holders for the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul will be determined.

Discussing the initiative Roberto Carlos said:

“Football for Friendship is a real social lift, giving the younger generation the opportunity to realize their potential and make their dreams come true. 

“Today, Football for Friendship is once again uniting Young Players, aspiring Young Journalists and simply young people with a passion for sports from all over the world, and everyone here will be able to learn something new, make new friends, and just have an unforgettable experience.”

While Chairman of the Gazprom Board of Directors, Viktor Zubkov, added:

“Today, we can take pride in a whole generation of grown-up athletes, public figures, journalists and simply goal-oriented young people, who were given amazing opportunities for a professional start by Football for Friendship. I would like to congratulate and wish good luck to all participants of the 2020 Football for Friendship Season.”

The Football for Friendship World Championship is usually held in different cities prior to the final matches of the UEFA Champions League, but this year the ongoing COVID-19 crisis forced organisers to switch to an online format, using the new Football for Friendship World Football Simulator. 

The game app will be made available to the general public on 10 December – World Football Day. You can download it for free for MS Windows, Apple MacOS, Android, iOS.

AYO.NEWS says:

No doubt the lack of the usual in-person football and activities will be missed by many kids, it’s great to see organisers embrace esports to allow the championship to continue through these challenging times. We’ve got a feeling that, even if normality returns, the Football for Friendship programme will permanently integrate some of the innovations it employs this year. 

‘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.