Simona catches up with Oleh Humeniuk, CEO at WePlay Esports, to find out more about how the company has grown from a tournament organiser to a fully rounded esports media empire.

2020 has been a challenging year for esports events organisers, so how did WePlay Esports respond to the COVID crisis, and what makes the company one of the leaders, especially in the CIS region?

Find out more about WePlay Esports at weplay.tv

The Brazilian Championship of Counter-Strike has changed its name and dropped its franchising model in favour of an open circuit. 

In 2021, the competition will be known as the Brazilian Circuit of Counter-Strike (CBCS), and its existing production team of DC Set and Grupo Globo, will be joined by entertainment group Omelette, promotion company Gamers Club, and streamer Alexandre “Gaules” Borba.

The changes mean that from next year, no team will have a guaranteed place in the league, and the league will be opened up to new teams trying to break into the pro circuit. Throughout the year there will be seven different competitions, with the first taking place in March. 

Tournaments will award points to allow for a ranking of teams, with the best participating in finals. The total prize pool is slated at $500K BRL (approx. $98K USD). 

O maior Circuito de CS:GO está chegando… pic.twitter.com/MNAg5tRJNK

— CBCS (@CBCS) December 4, 2020

AYO.NEWS says:

Moving to an open format can only be good for encouraging the growth of the Latin American CS:GO scene, and bringing more partners onboard can only help improve production values and reach more fans – so, all things considered, we’d say this is a very positive move. 

‘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-Limit, the world’s #1 raiding World of Warcraft guild has teamed up with new partners for this year’s Race to World First: Shadowlands.

The guild, which is partnered with Complexity Gaming, has announced their return to Race to World First in the latest World of Warcraft Expansion, Shadowlands. Starting on 15 December, Complexity-Limit will race to conquer the shadowy realm of Revendreth, battling Sire Denathrius in the Mythic Castle Nathria and kicking off the World of Warcraft story for Shadowlands.

This year’s event will feature new participating talent, event partners, and content segments, designed to provide a well-rounded viewing experience and engage a diverse group of fans. 

General Manager of Complexity Gaming, Sören Vendsahm, explained:

“Race to World First is a competition unlike any other – it’s an incredibly demanding endeavor that challenges players to think critically over long periods of time.

“All eyes are on Complexity-Limit as the guild attempts to defend their rank as the world’s top raiding guild, and we’ll be supporting them every step of the way through unique experiences for viewers and help from our partners.”

Complexity will be placing increased focus on creating unique content and engagement opportunities for fans. Through an ongoing partnership with Twitch, it will stream around 16-18 hours of live Race to World First content exclusively on the organisation’s channel, along with individual Twitch streams from Limit members including Maximum, Thdlock, Imfiredup, and Lightee. 

OTK Network will also be producing a daily roundtable show hosted by leading World of Warcraft influencers Asmongold, REALMizkif, Esfand, and Rich Campbell on their channel.

Complexity-Limit has announced Blue Microphones as its official microphone partner, with the company supplying the new Yeti X World of Warcraft Edition professional USB microphone to players, while Herman Miller Embody Gaming Chairs will also be supplied to the guild. 

Texas-based Balanced Media Technology will support the event, streamlining asset reaction with Raider.io from World of Warcraft’s API to inject real-time game stats including boss kills, position rank, and instance class compilation into the Complexity-Limited broadcast. WoW Head will be providing additional analytical support. 

This year’s Race to World First: Shadowlands event will see six of Complexity-Limit’s guild members competing from a safe bubble environment at Complexity’s headquarters, the GameStop Performance Center (GSPC), from 15 December. 

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

ESPAT TV has announced the launch of the Creative Collective, and a major partnership with the Ridley Scott Creative Group.

The New York-based esports and gaming focused production company says the Creative Collective, which is described as a consortium of content creators, producers, marketers, and filmmakers, will create multifaceted content for the esports and gaming community. 

Included in the collective is Ridley Scott Creative Group’s family of companies (RSA Films, Scott Free Films, Black Dog Films, and Darling); sports and esports event, movie, and TV production company PRG; esports and gaming content creator, and owner of Esports Stadium Arlington, Esports Locker; video production and content company Unbridled Media; and TikTok content agency Movers and Shakers. 

ESPAT TV Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dante Simpson, told TEO that the partnership with Ridley Scott Creative Group was driven by a combination of the group’s desire to find something new during the COVID-19 pandemic, and lucky timing. 

He went on to explain how all of the partners were bringing different production styles and expertise, aimed at specific audiences and platforms, from organic, community-focused content to high-end Hollywood level productions. 

Apparently, though much of the collective’s output will be commercial, it will also include ‘passion projects’ that tell important stories. 

AYO.NEWS says:

We can’t wait to see what comes from this venture! With so much heavyweight creative talent onboard, including the visionary force behind blockbusters like Blade Runner, Gladiator, and The Martian, the sky really is the limit. Once again, it underlines how the boundaries between traditional entertainment, like TV and film, is rapidly blurring with social media and gaming. 

‘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.

Real estate developer Scott Greenberg has announced plans for a $30M esports arena in Chicago. 

Greenberg, who is president of ECD Co. and CEO of Smash Hotels, is considering a site at 2500 S. Wabash Ave, near Chicago’s South Side. The 106,000 square foot venue will serve food and drink and have a capacity of 800 spectators. 

According to the Chicago Tribune, ECD is partnering with Chicago-based virtual reality company MassVR for the project, which will also feature an IMAX-style video canvas. 

If the City Council approves the project, construction could begin in summer 2021, with an opening slated for summer the following year. 

AYO.NEWS says:

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen many esports venues forced to shutter (including MassVR’s existing venue), it may seem crazy to embark on a project like this, but hopefully by 2022 things will be back to something approaching normality. 

Staying with America, hoteliers, and esports, last month Los Angeles-based Subnation was selected by GSD Group to act as Marketing Advisor, Event Partner, and Content Producer for Atari® Hotels – one of which is planned for Chicago. 

‘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.

Evil Geniuses has appointed former Red Bull executive, Michael Fudzinski, as its new Chief Revenue Officer.

In his new role, Fudzinski will be responsible for overseeing the Seattle-based esports organisation’s global partnerships, marketing, events, and communications departments, with the goal of streamlining marketing and revenue operations. 

Before joining Red Bull to lead US event partnerships Fudzinski has held roles with ESPN, the Olympic Authority, and Octagon. During his stint with Red Bull, he was the liaison to NBC for its Red Bull Signature Series, and later secured deals with major global brands including Audi, BF Goodrich, Garmin, and Pennzoil. Most recently he was responsible for global partnerships as VP at the Drone Racing League. 

Commenting on the news CEO of Evil Geniuses, Nicole LaPointed Jameson, said:

“Michael’s expertise from outside the esports space will only strengthen our organisation.

We’re marrying his best-in-class practices with our endemic knowledge and competitive excellence to continue our dominance on the world stage in 2021 and expand on our principles of building champions.”

While Fudzinski himself added:

“Just as action-sport transcended their perceptions in the early 90s, propelled by mainstream events like the X Games, esports are poised on a similar trajectory.

“Evil Geniuses’ 21-year history along with innovative new programs in the collegiate, diversity & inclusivity space and expanding amateur teams will differentiate us from the competition, helping us lead the next chapter of defining what will be the esports legacy.”

Evil Geniuses is one of the oldest esports organisations, having been founded way back in 1999. Today it competes in League of Legends, DOTA 2, CS:GO, and fighting games. The organisation currently has partnerships with Monster Energy, RAZER, LG UltraGear, America’s Navy, Motorola, Secretlab, Twitch, and PEAK6.

AYO.NEWS says:

Fudzinski’s appointment with Evil Geniuses is just another sign of how the industry is rapidly professionalising on the backend, and how monetisation is becoming of paramount importance. We’re sure his experience and connections will stand the organisation in good stead as it looks to secure more long-term commercial partnerships. 

‘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.