Danish esports company, Astralis Group, has announced the appointment of Kasper Sindt as its new commercial director. 

For the last three and a half years, Sindt has been head of commercial partnerships, sales & marketing at the National Danish Football Association (DBU A/S). Prior to that, he was head of marketing and head of sponsorship at VELUX, and also spent three years as project director for VELUX EHF Champions League.

Welcoming Sindt to the company, co-founder of Astralis & Astralis Group, Jakob Lund Kristensen, said:

“Besides the obvious effects of adding a capacity like Kasper to our organization, the addition will release existing resources to further develop the overall commercial strategy and our products. Personally, I also look forward to being able to move even closer to our many stakeholders.”

Sindt will officially take up his new role with Astralis on 1 March. 

Astralis Group competes in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, FIFA, and League of Legends. 

Staying with Astralis Group, last month the company extended its partnership with peripherals brand Logitech G for a further three years. 

AYO.NEWS says:

We’re just a few days into 2021, and already we’re seeing another executive ditch traditional sports for esports. Given the likelihood that sports are again going to be severely impacted by the accelerating COVID-19 crisis this year, we’re expecting to see this trend continue as talent looks for new opportunities in a more resilient sector. 

‘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, 2019-2021.

Computer vision tech company Cavea has raised another €1M from new and existing investors, including The Danish Growth Fund (Vækstfonden).

By harnessing AI technology, Cavea’s sponsorship and advertising platform enables esports organisations, brands, agencies, streamers, and other content creators to more efficiently and effectively collect, track, manage, and value marketing content. 

The Odense-based company says it will be using the new funding to consolidate and expand its product offering, hire more team members, and fully focus on commercialisation.

So far, Cavea has attracted interest from major esports organisations including Astralis, DreamHack Sports, FNATIC, Ninjas in Pyjamas, PSG Talon, and Team Envy. 

Explaining the need for Cavea’s solutions, Founder and CEO, Mircea Eftemie, said:

“The inability of proper data collection and expensive video analysis of large volumes of content, that is a natural outcome of gaming, leaves many esports organisations without any tangible solutions. 

“Cavea addresses these obstacles by providing a solution capable of collecting and analysing thousands of video streaming hours while also analysing the type of games that are played.”

AYO.NEWS says:

With ever increasing volumes of money pouring into the esports industry, it’s critical that organisations, brands, agencies, and creators alike are able to easily identify and value their content without having to devote ever greater resources to the task. Of course, the sheer volume of content created in the esports space makes this very difficult, so its the perfect use case for Artificial Intelligence. 

‘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. 

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Hyper-casual mobile game developer Kwalee has pledged to donate 100% of UK profits from its hit game Teacher Simulator to the Marcus Rashford-backed charity FareShare.

The company says the initiative was inspired by the campaigning of Marcus Rashford MBE, ambassador for FareShare, on the issue of free school meals. 

On the week ending 10 January – the date that would have marked the end of the first full week back at school for Britain’s kids, had schools not been closed for the latest COVID-19 lockdown – every penny of UK profit generated from video ads and in-app purchases in the free-to-play mobile game Teacher Simulator will help fund FareShare’s work to combat food poverty in the UK. 

Launched towards the end of 2020 on iOS and Android, Teacher Simulator is completely free to download, and has already reached more than 6.5M players worldwide, making it into the top 3 games on the Apple App Store in both the UK and UK. On the UK Google Play Store, Teacher Simulator has done even better, reaching the #2 spot in the Games category. 

Simon Platt, Head of Development at Kwalee, said:

“Teacher Simulator was partly inspired by our own experiences at school, from the mundane to the bizarre. These were largely fond memories for us, fortunately, but no child should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from when they should be learning and playing, whether in or out of the classroom.”

While CEO of Kwalee, David Darling CBE, added:

“We’re huge admirers of Marcus Rashford’s campaigning and strongly believe in the work done by FareShare. Now more than ever, as the country enters another testing lockdown, no child should have to go hungry. 

“With Teacher Simulator having been such a success for its cheerful depiction of school life, we want to do our bit to support those for whom that is not necessarily the reality – especially with the added strain of remote schooling on kids and families.”

Darling is co-founder and former CEO of Codemasters, which is in the process of being acquired by gaming giant Electronic Arts for $1.2B. He has been creating games professionally since he was a teenager, and in 2008 was awarded a CBE for services to the computer games industry. 

He now runs Kwalee, which recently surpassed 100 employees, and has recorded over half a billion game downloads. This makes the Leamington Spa-based company officially Britain’s biggest developer and publisher of hyper-casual mobile games.

Welcoming Kwalee’s support, FareShare Commercial Director, Alyson Walsh, said:

“After a year where understanding the importance of school-aged children receiving nutritious food has come under the spotlight, we are extremely grateful to Kwalee for donating 100% of UK profits from their Teacher Simulator game as children return to remote schooling.

“FareShare’s work with Breakfast, After School and Holiday Clubs each year help vulnerable children access the food they need to learn, grow and thrive.”

AYO.NEWS says:

The fact that so many children are going hungry in the UK, one of the world’s wealthiest nations, is an utter disgrace, and the way its politicians are mismanaging the COVID-19 crisis, causing ever more social and economic damage, is reprehensible. Against this frustrating backdrop it’s fantastic to see charities like FareShare being supported by the games industry, so kudos to everyone involved. 

Staying with Kwalee, in November the company selected AdInMo to integrate immersive brand ads into its latest title. 

‘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, 2019-2021.

North American esports organisation Dignitas has rebranded, and brought back it’s ‘Digi’ alien logo, with a twist. 

Though the logo dates back to the organisation’s founding in 2003, the new version has been designed to “engage fans through a range of animations to communicate personality and emotions,” and is now described as representing an “agender alien nanotechnological being.”

The new logo references Dignitas’ old logo through the shape of its eyes, ensuring the rebrand still pays homage to the organisation’s almost two decades of history. In terms of colours, the classic Dignitas yellow and black have been modified slightly, to give better results when printing on fabric merch, and the yellow, black, grey, and white have been named to “represent various pillars of Dignitas and gaming.” 

A range of Digi-inspired merchandise has also been released, in collaboration with Champion, and is now available at Digitas’ online store. 

Discussing the re-brand Vice President of Partnerships at Dignitas, John Spiher, said:

“This new mark creates unmatched capabilities for brands and partners. By developing Digi as a ‘living’ part of the greater Dignitas identity, we can curate unique 2D and 3D animations, live broadcast, and other content experiences to embed our partners in more meaningful ways than ever before.”

While CEO of New Meta Entertainment, INC. and Dignitas, Michael Prindiville, added:

“The return of Digi is a thrilling moment for the entire Dignitas organisation and one we’re confident will excite our current fan base while reengaging idle fans that have long awaited the return of a legendary icon.

“The reimagined Digi is an original emotive mascot to the world of gaming and esports that will stimulate storytelling and emotional narratives, while becoming an asset unique solely to Dignitas.”

Dignitas’ new logo will see its first action with the organisation’s Rocket League team during this weekend’s RLCS European Regional event. 

AYO.NEWS says:

We’ve seen quite a few rebrands recently, but this stands out in the way that it cleverly pays tribute to Dignitas’ roots, while also exploring new territory with the way that the logo has been designed to be a living, interactive part of the brand. 

‘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.

North American esports organisation eUnited has teamed up with mental health advocacy group Rise Above The Disorder (RAD). 

In addition to enabling eUnited to offer people across its organisation access to mental health professionals, the strategic partnership will also aim to raise awareness of mental health issues, and raise funds for the charity. 

Discussing the partnership eUnited General Manager, Matthew Potthoff, said:

“I’m hoping that through this strategic partnership, we can not only help our players and staff at eUnited, but raise awareness for mental health in the gaming community and encourage other individuals to seek help and know it’s okay to do so.”

While Rise Above The Disorder Director of Strategic Initiatives, Jonathan Miller, added:

“Our mission has always been to make mental health services both accessible and affordable to those in need. With gaming at the heart of everything we do, it is essential for RAD to partner with organizations and individuals that share our passion, and recognise the importance of mental health in our industry. 

“We are pleased to join eUnited in their effort to address mental health, and we look forward to the positive impact this partnership will have on so many lives.”

eUnited currently fields rosters in Rocket League, Rainbow Six Siege, Smite, and Super Smash Bros. In November 2020, the organisation abandoned plans to merge with Toronto Stock Exchange Venture Exchange (TSXV)-listed Backstageplay in a reverse takeover. 

AYO.NEWS says:

At the best of times, working in esports and gaming can be stressful, but the COVID-19 crisis and a deeply divided society has evidently exacerbated mental health issues and challenges for many, so it’s great to see eUnited supporting RAD. 

‘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. 

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Malta-based iGaming marketing company ClassyBeef has recruited former Counter-Strike player and manager Emil ‘HeatoN’ Christensen as a brand ambassador. 

Described by ClassyBeef as the world’s “first true esports superstar,” HeatoN was with Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) when it won the CPL World Championship way back in 2001, and won the Counter-Strike gold medal for Sweden at the 2003 World Cyber Games.

He went on to develop his pro esports career with SK Sweden, before he and the rest of SK Sweden cut ties with SK Gaming and re-formed NiP (Ninjas in Pyjamas). Though he quit playing Counter-Strike for NiP in September 2007, to join Championship Gaming Series (CGS) as general manager, Christensen returned to Ninjas in Pyjamas and managed the organisation from 2012 until October 2018.

Despite his undeniable Counter-Strike skills, Christensen is no stranger to controversy. In September 2015 he, along with two other former NiP owners, were charged with misleading an auditor about NiP’s finances during its sale to Digilife. He was found guilty of fraud – though the judgement specified it was due to careless accounting rather than any intentional plan to deceive – and has since faced further allegations of financial misconduct from former NiP players. 

With more than 130,000 followers on Twitch, ClassyBeef is best known for streaming casino and slots games, and has announced an upcoming event featuring HeatoN, called the HeatoN Wars – Gambling Tournament.

Commenting on the news Co-Founder of ClassyBeef, Joel Petri, said:

“We are super thrilled to be presenting one of the biggest names in the esports industry. HeatoN has a fascinating background and we are more than happy to have him signed as a brand ambassador.”

While Emil ‘HeatoN’ Christensen himself added:

“I am happy to be joining a company that works hard to educate viewers on responsible gambling, while making gambling fun and accessible for the community. It’s exciting to see what the future holds.”

You can catch the livestream at ClassyBeef’s Twitch channel on 9 January at 19:00 CEST. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Although esports and gambling have a strong relationship thanks to legitimate esports betting operators, the world of slot streamers still generates a lot of controversy. But, considering HeatoN’s past, we doubt a few more raised eyebrows will bother him, and it will be interesting to see where this goes. 

‘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.