Visa and FACEIT have announced a partnership with Gazprombank, to launch the first esports card product for Russian Dota 2 and CS:GO gamers. 

In addition to enabling everyday purchases, Gazprombank’s new FACEIT Visa debit card will give gamers access to exclusive tournaments on FACEIT – the world’s largest independent competitive gaming platform. 

Part of the global Visa and FACEIT partnership announced at the end of 2019, the program will provide the Russian esports community with a new competitive experience through a series of online programs open to all skill levels, and featuring a substantial prize pool.

The CS:GO and Dota 2 action will start this month, and see USD $450,000 in prize money awarded to players within the first three months, across several different tournament formats. Both cash and FACEIT points will be up for grabs, with points exchangeable for virtual goods for games, and branded merchandise. 

Discussing the program Director, Strategic Partnerships and Fintech at Visa Russia, Evgeniy Zelenyi, said: 

“In designing this product, we always stuck to the core question: “What does a player really want?” The answer to this is surprisingly simple: the player wants to be rewarded for his success in the game.

“So we accepted the challenge of putting together a diverse, rich, exciting reward infrastructure that motivates players’ to become better while putting real tangible prizes into their hands when they win tournaments. With CS:GO and Dota hitting a peak of 1.3M and 800K concurrent players, we are saying to the world: come compete with us and get prizes!”

While Co-Founder & CEO of FACEIT, Niccolo Maisto, added:

“We are very excited to launch the program with VISA and Gazprombank as our first partner in this world first collaboration. This program is a great example of how brands can connect with our community and significantly contribute to the development of competitive ecosystems which is something that is hugely important for FACEIT. 

“The partnership aims to drive new competitive opportunities to esports players in Russia while also creating valuable content for CSGO and Dota2 players. It’s fantastic to partner with international industry leaders to create new initiatives.”

And, First Vice President and member of the Management Board of Gazprombank, Alexey Popovich, commented:

“Following the trends in the banking business, Gazprombank once again relies on personalization. This time we chose a rapidly growing segment – the mass e-sports market in Russia. 

“In partnership with Visa and FACEIT, we launched a unique card product for gamers, thanks to which we plan to significantly increase our customer base. I’m sure that the new card will be in demand, because now the e-sports audience in Russia has about 10-12 million people and is predicted to grow by 20% annually.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Banks and payment companies around the world are starting to pay more attention to esports, as they realise the sheer spending power and engagement potential of the rapidly growing esports fan base. Earlier today we reported that Barclays bank has partnered with National Students Esports in the UK. 

Staying with FACEIT, in mid-May Ubisoft announced it had signed a multi-year agreement with the company, covering North American Rainbow Six Siege esports. 

‘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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