Global esports platform Challengermode is teaming up with Red Bull to host international qualifiers for the Red Bull Solo Q 1v1 League of Legends tournament. 

One of the world’s largest 1v1 amaetuer esports tournaments, it will see the world’s best battle it out, with the winner getting to experience the League of Legends All-Star Event. Last year’s tournament attracted more than 80,000 entrants, with this year’s event expected to be even bigger. 

Qualifiers and tournaments will take place from 24 April – 7 November, allowing almost anyone to get involved, while in-person global finals are planned for the year’s end. Players can register for regionalised international qualifiers via the official Red Bull Solo Q site, or the Red Bull Space on the Challengermode platform. 

Philip Hubner, CBDO at Challengermode said: “A truly global tournament like Red Bull Solo Q is the perfect opportunity to showcase how the Challengermode platform can help esports tournament organisers scale their operations. With first round qualifiers on their own being 2048 slot tournaments, we look forward to supporting Red Bull in both national and international qualifiers in the year ahead as part of our own goal to make esports accessible to as many people as possible.”

Last year, Sweden-based Challengermode secured $12M USD in a funding round led by China’s Alibaba.

With the esports betting market continuing to witness rapid growth, Kristina Skogvard from Abios Gaming interviewed Filip Kristersson from Kindred’s Unibet.

Skogvard: The esports market is the fastest growing sports vertical with the betting market following suit. The betting market for esports is expected to grow with a CAGR of 13.1% between 2020 and 2025 according to MarketWatch, showing a great potential for future opportunities. Unibet has offered markets on esports since 2014 and has used Abios widgets to deliver an enhanced customer experience for punters.

We decided to talk to the Esports Product Manager at Unibet, Filip Kristersson, to get his take on esports betting, how they’ve enhanced their betting offer and their predictions for the future.

Skogvard: What are your thoughts on the future of esports and betting?

Kristersson: Esports will continue to grow and become increasingly important for bookmakers. Within 3 years, it will be a top sport for most sportsbooks and continue to grow. Together with American sports, it will drive new innovations such as betting types, widgets, and ultra-live. The rise of eSoccer as a filler product paints an intriguing picture, are we seeing the beginning of a new paradigm? I foresee interesting times ahead.

Skogvard: What esports games are most popular among your customers?

Kristersson:  =The big three still rule supreme: CS:GO, LoL, and Dota 2. With the Nordics as some of our core markets, we see a lot of CS:GO activity. Hopefully, The International will be able to go forward as planned in Stockholm this summer, so we can see some proper Dota 2 action as well.

Skogvard: Do you see any growth in interest in other esports games? Are there any new-/upcomers we should keep track of?

Kristersson: While not really being traditional esports, we have seen an increase in eSoccer. The product currently has a filler-role, but can become a proper esports with the right infrastructure and fanbase. Other games of interest are Call of Duty, Valorant, and Rainbow 6, though it’s too early to say anything yet. I’m interested to see the Battle Royale genre getting cracked, as it’s slightly awkward to watch and place bets on now. The growing trend of mobile esports should also be followed, though it will take a while to grow big as an esports in Europe.

Skogvard: Have you seen any changes in the esports betting market related to Covid-19?

Kristersson: The rise of eSoccer was one thing we didn’t see coming, it was an unexpected surprise. In hindsight, it does make sense. Almost everyone has played the game, it’s recognisable, quick, and fun to bet on. The other esports saw an increase, even if the more prestigious LAN-tournaments were canceled. We have also seen an increase in activity from many of our competitors as well as suppliers. I believe the increased esports awareness benefits us as we have a strong esports product.

Skogvard: Thank you for bringing these great insights on the esports market. You have used our products to enhance and develop the customer experience across your platforms.

How do you use our widgets and value stats?

Kristersson: In short, we use the Abios widgets to enhance our customer experience. Whether you are a frequent bettor or it’s your first time, we want it to be easy, smooth, and understandable to bet at Unibet. The pre-match widgets give you an understanding of the teams’ latest performance, without having to leave Unibet.

The value stats have been a great way to help players try types of betting they aren’t used to, as well as showcasing how you can use data to improve your betting. It’s also nifty to use on external sites together with promotions.

Skogvard: What value has Abios products brought you?

Kristersson: The compliance checks made us one of the few bookmakers who could have most of our esports events available on site after the Swedish re-regulation. The mapping of streams makes sure it’s possible to view every esports event on our website. Abios continuous service helps us ensure we have all the content available for all markets, something becoming increasingly important with different regulations.

Skogvard: What value has Abios brought to your customers in terms of user experience?

Kristersson: As can be understood from the above answers, they have been a great addition to our customer experience, prolonging time on site and helping to drive both pre-match and in-play betting. At Unibet, we want our players to feel in control and feel good about their bets. By providing additional information in a well-packaged way, we promote the expert feeling.

AYO.NEWS says:

Some interesting insights from Unibet there, which pretty much gel with what we’ve heard from other operators, including esports-first platforms like Loot.bet and Luckbox. Will the battle royale genre manage to figure out a way to make betting more attractive, and will sim sports, especially soccer racing, see another boost if the pandemic resurges due to variants? Interesting times. 

Staying with Abios, last month the company launched an esports betting player age compliance solution – something that is especially needed in a world where so many pro players are minors. 

Las Vegas based esports organization, DarkZero Esports, has secured a one-year deal with gaming furniture provider RESPAWN.

With this agreement, RESPAWN, a gaming furniture brand backed by their years of experience in the office furniture space, will be outfitting DarkZero’s 8,000 sq. ft. multi-million-dollar gaming facility located just off the Las Vegas Strip.

This newly forged partnership will also see DarkZero collaborating with RESPAWN to create compelling new content throughout the year, as well as the unveiling of new products, and Ultimate Gamer giveaways that provide new setups to DarkZero fans.

“We at RESPAWN Products are excited to be working alongside one of the premier organizations in Rainbow Six Siege, DarkZero Esports. Tommy and the team at DarkZero have the drive and passion to continue to grow their brand exponentially, and that is something that aligns with our goals as well at team RESPAWN. As of today, RESPAWN Products is #GoingDark” said RESPAWN Partnership Manager James Deasey.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with the battle tested ergonomic gaming furniture brand of the future, RESPAWN PRODUCTS. It’s important for us at DarkZero to provide our athletes with top of the line equipment to perform at their best and through partnering with Respawn we are making good on that promise. We are also excited to provide value to and engage with our fans through product giveaways and sweepstakes. Looking forward to growing with our founding partners!” added Tommy Padula, Head of Partnerships at DarkZero.

Beer brand Voodoo Ranger has expanded its esports involvement by sponsoring North American organisation Dignitas. 

An IPA family crafted by the New Belgium Brewing Company of Fort Collins, Colorado, Voodoo Ranger is now the official beer partner of Dignitas. 

Financial details of the partnership have not been revealed, but collaborative content, a series of fan-focused “Happy Hours,” Voodoo Ranger “Community Game Nights,” and in-person activations at future events, have been promised. 

“Our partnership with Dignitas is an amazing chance to support a team and community that loves beer and all things gaming and esports but includes the community support and initiatives that we as a brewery also hold extremely close to our hearts. Cheers!” said Patrick Morgan, Voodoo Ranger Community Manager.

“Aligning with a brand that values bringing people together as highly as we do makes Voodoo Ranger a natural fit”, said John Spiher, Vice President of Partnerships at Dignitas. “Community is the lifeblood of esports and gaming, and we’re proud to partner with a brand dedicated to uplifting and celebrating the lives and moments we all share together.”

Though this partnership is the first of its kind for Voodoo Ranger, the beer isn’t a stranger to esports and gaming, with the brand having previously sponsored the DreamHack Open at DreamHack Atlanta 2018, and hinted at its video gaming tendencies in other ways, with the company putting out a series of Voodoo Ranger 8-bit videos in 2018. 

AYO.NEWS says:

It’s great to see Dignitas have gone for something a little different for their official beer partnership. While it’s not quite at Team Secret level (they launched the world’s first esports branded beer in 2019), it’s a refreshing change from yet another Bud Light sponsorship! 

Did we mention we offer a completely free beer reviewing service?

Esports data provider GRID has secured $10M USD in a Series A funding round, which attracted participation from NFL player JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Alinea Capital, Bumble Ventures, and Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder, and other “leading investors in the gaming, iGaming and tech industry” also took part in the round. GRID says it will use the new capital to help fund its US expansion plans. 

Discussing the round, Moritz Mauer, CEO and Founder of GRID, said: “2020 proved to be a massive growth year in the gaming and esports industry and for our company. We saw wide adoption of our technology across the most renowned players in the ecosystem, and with it, our coverage of esports events and roster of clients grew exponentially.

“We are in a unique position to leverage technology to standardise esports data by embracing the digital nature of the sport and do so in alignment with rights holders in the space such as game publishers and tournament operators.”

Arkadiusz Seńko, Managing Partner of Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder, added: “GRID’s pioneering technology unlocks the new commercial potential of esport data. It is a game-changer for teams, tournament organisers, and game publishers. We are proud to have been GRID’s partner from the very beginning and we are excited to further support the team in creating a sustainable future for the esports market.”

Founded in 2018, GRID has since become a major esports data provider, forming partnerships with tournament organisers like Allied Esports, ESforce Holding, Drone Champions League, FLASHPOINT, and WePlay Esports, and betting operators like GameCo, Midnite, Pinnacle, and Unikrn. 

AYO.NEWS says:

GRID already has a firm foothold in the rapidly growing US esports sector, and we’re sure the new capital will be put to good use in catalysing growth – there’s certainly plenty of esports betting operators and broadcasters in need of high quality and comprehensive esports data.

While it’s not unusual to see sports personalities, celebrities and artists get involved with esports organisations and teams, indeed in 2020 JuJu Smith-Schuster launched his own, Team Diverge, it’s a little rarer to see them invest in a services/data supplier.

Danish esports company, Astralis Group, has announced it will be pursuing a dual quotation on the US-based OTCQX Best Market in response to growing US investor interest. 

Astralis Group, which currently operates CS:GO, League of Legends, and FIFA teams under the Astralis Brand, is currently trading on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Denmark under ticker ASTGRP. 

The company says a listing on the OTCQX Best Market will allow US-based investors to easily purchase Astralis Group shares to gain exposure in the growing esports industry. The listing is expected to increase liquidity, and the application process is expected to be finalised within 4 weeks. 

Commenting on the news, Anders Hørsholt, CEO Astralis Group, said: “We are pleased to potentially trade on the OTCQX Best Market as it will give our current and potential shareholders an additional and larger regulated platform from which they can conveniently trade our shares. From the company’s perspective, it provides added exposure to an expanding US market of esports investors.

“Trading on OTCQX will secure increased access for US institutional and retail investors looking to invest in our company and proven business model and it will provide an opportunity to be a part of Astralis Group’s continued development as an international leader in the growing, global esports industry.”

Staying with Astralis Group, last month the company announced an extension and expansion of its partnership with HP’s OMEN gaming brand.