Team Liquid will kick off Sunday’s group stage in Worlds with a battle against Machi Esports. They’re going in as the favorites across esports betting sites after their consistent and dominant performance in week one.
The North American roster is among the best in the world, and easily the number one in their region. However, Liquid shouldn’t underestimate Machi, who have shown they have a strong team and have taken many by surprise in the past.
We’ve finally arrived at the League of Legends World Championship – the most anticipated event of the year for organizations, bookmakers, and fans alike. The four groups are well thought out, and every roster will be pushed and tested from all angles and strategies.
If you haven’t got your bets on yet, now is an excellent time to do so. Some of the favorites to take the title are DAMWON Gaming, who aren’t the type to back down from a fight. They’re consistently improving and are quick to adjust their playing style to take down opponents.
JD Gaming, Fnatic, and Gen.G are top contenders as well. Each team only has one shot in each battle, with the best-of-one format testing them to their limits.
After only a month of working with Caster “Bunter” Grocholewski, the coach is parting ways with the organization. In a statement, the Icelandic CS:GO leader said he’d had an amazing time and would be taking time for his well-being.
Goliath Gaming also made a statement thanking him for his assistance during his time with them. They brought Bunter on temporarily, to aid them in preparations for the VS Gaming Masters and Mettlestate.
During the VS Gaming Masters, Goliath Gaming placed third after losing the lower bracket final, causing an upset across local bookmakers.
This weekend’s League of Legends World Championship is looking to be a thriller. In Group A, G2 Esports from Europe is the favorite at bookmakers to progress. They have a strong team and couldn’t have picked a better group if they’d decided themselves.
However, they need to maintain consistency and avoid their usual sloppy start habit. If G2 loses sight of the goal for even a second, any of their group opponents will exploit their weaknesses.
Every roster is hungry for the World Championship title, and G2 must ensure they aren’t overconfident or underestimate their competition. They’ll play their first match on Saturday against Suning Gaming.
The Sharks are the favorites with Brazilain bookmakers going into their match against Imperial. They’ve had a superb run lately and are in good form. Imperial have had rocky performances in recent battles, having lost their last three Tribo to Major games.
The Sharks have beaten Keyed, Isurus, and Red Canids during this season already, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll be slowing down. They’re on equal footing with BOOM at first place on the table and will be looking to push ahead.
Order are the favorites in their game against Avant to secure a spot in the grand final against the Renegades. After losing against the Renegades in the upper bracket, they’re looking for a rematch to redeem themselves.
Bookmakers have their odds against Avant after they lost their most recent ESL Pro League game against Order. The grand final will take place on October 6, and afterward, the teams will have some downtime ahead of the upcoming IEM tournament.
]]>Activision have just dropped the multiplayer Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War trailer. The company released the first trailer after a video was leaked of the multiplayer game.
The 3:17 official trailer gives players a taste of what they can expect when the game goes live on November 13. As seen in the clip, Cold War promises excellent graphics and tons of action.
From battling on ships in the Atlantic ocean, through the deserts in Angola, to combat in Miami’s streets, there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming launch.
The League of Legends World Championships is quickly approaching as teams make their way to Shanghai for their 14-day quarantine period ahead of the first games. The campaign is set to start on September 25, with teams finding out this week who they’ll be up against.
However, this year some familiar faces will be missing. Cloud9 have had a dismal year and didn’t make the cut, and neither did the 2019 champions, FunPlus Phoenix. Other notable teams that’ll be missing include Invictus Gaming and T1.
There’ll also be no Vietnamese groups this year as the country is experiencing severe travel restrictions due to COVID-19. As a result, Riot Games have shuffled the qualifiers slightly and reduced the amount of participating teams to 22.
You can expect to see some new and old faces with those that have made it for the group stage and the play-ins. DAMWON Gaming, DRX, Fnatic, Gen.G, and Top Esport are just a few of the 12 seeded into the group stage, while the play-ins include Rainbow7, MAD Lions, and Team Liquid among the 10.
The Cairo-based esports team Anubis have seeded $300,000 from an ecommerce group. Last month the organization raised $100,000, bringing the total funding in investments to $450,000.
Anubis have rosters for LoL, Counter-Strike, and Crossfire, and they plan to expand by adding more players to compete in different games. Youssef Mohsen, the organization’s founder, says that they’re planning to use the investment funds to bring in new players, international coaches and launch an apparel line.
Anubis have achieved more than 20 titles since launching in 2015. They are the first African team to reach a high level since becoming the regional champions in Crossfire and participating in the world championship playoffs.
Alex “ALEX” McMeekin is the first player to sign to Cloud9 since the organization announced plans to rebuild their CS: GO roster. The British Counter-Strike player has reportedly penned a three-year deal worth US $1.65 million.
The new GM, Henry “HenryG” Greer, announced the news via Twitter with details about the philosophy he’d like to bring to the team. There’s no news yet about any other signings, but we at eSportsBet.com will keep you up to date with any developments.
Rodrigo “Lelis” Santos, the Brazilian offlaner that plays for Quincy Crew, has won a Mercedes-Benz and a share of $28,000 after winning the ESL One Thailand 2020 MVP award.
Lelis played a crucial role in Quincy Crew taking the title at ESL One Thailand 2020 Americas. He is part of the team currently participating at BTS Pro Series Season 3, where they’ll look to build on their six-win streak in Dota 2 tournaments.
This is the second time that Lelis was up for the Mercedes-Benz MVP award. He was also nominate for the top prize at ESL One Birmingham, where Lu “Somnus” Yao won.
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University have won the inaugural UniSport Australia Esports Championships. RMIT topped the charts with 24 points, finishing six points ahead of Monash University.
The competition came to an end after seven weeks where 15 university teams participated in Rocket League, FIFA 20, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournaments. Despite not winning any individual titles, RMIT played well across the board and racked up enough points to put them ahead.
]]>Luke Zelon, the former Director of Partnerships at Team SoloMid, has launched his new venture, NXT UP Esports. It’s a recreational esports platform with a focus on the youth and young players. The biggest aim of NXT UP is to help youngsters develop and improve their lives in-game and out-of-game.
Zelon believes that his experiences as a child, working at TSM, and playing recreational sports will help the platform flourish. He knows how to combine a traditional sports structure with professional esports team practices.
The company’s inaugural Fall League opened on September 9, for players aged 13-15. The young gamers can enter provided they’re ranked Iron, Bronze, or Silver in League of Legends. The funds from registration will go towards a scholarship program, which will help college students fund their studies towards an industry career.
Vici Gaming have parted ways with their head coach, Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun. Kim decided to return home due to personal reasons and family commitments, as his wife is pregnant. They were in discussion to re-sign in 2021, but they didn’t come to an agreement because of the uncertainty surrounding his family commitments.
The coach parted ways on amicable terms, so there’s a chance that he’ll join them once again. Before joining Vici Gaming, kkOma was crucial in leading his previous team, T1, to three world titles in his seven years with them. Since joining VC, he’s helped the team climb the ladder from a lower ranking to a mid-level.
In their third Mobile Esports Open, RedBull is focusing on PUBG Mobile. Fortunately for South African players, the local RedBull branch has opened sign-ups for the National Qualifier. Registration is free, and there should be four players per team.
Qualifiers start on September 26 and conclude with the final on the 27th. The winning squad will have a chance to compete in the 2021 World Finals in Turkey.
The Ukrainian Professional Esports Association will hold a conference to outline the strategies and vision for the next five years. The news comes after the Ukrainian government decided to recognize esports as an official sporting code.
Various groups and lobbyists, including the Ukrainian Esports Federation, who submitted an application to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, catapulted the decision. Oleksandr Borniakov, the Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation, commented that it’s a historic move for the country, as esports have become a fundamental aspect of the modern digital culture.
Earlier this year, a group including Oleksandr Kokhanovsky bought the Dnipro Hotel in the country’s capital city, Kyiv. They aim to turn it into a venue designed and equipped to host esports competitions and events. If they’re successful, it’ll be the first such location in the world. It will have training and stadium areas, a players’ lounge, and rooms for professionals.
Ahead of the League of Legends 2020 World Championship, regional teams are on their way to Shanghai. The first team to arrive is Rainbow7, from the Latin America League, where they departed from Mexico together.
The LoL Worlds will commence on September 25, but teams will start trickling in now. Everyone that enters must abide by protocols and stay in quarantine for 14 days upon landing.
ESL Australia and NetEase have joined forces and released Marvel Super War Esports, exclusive to the Oceania region. It’s the first time Marvel has explored a MOBA platform, and it looks to be successful.
They have hope that the release will spark more interest in esports across Oceania countries. It’s also an attempt to fill mobile esports ecosystem gaps so that players have an opportunity to play, regardless of the device they use.
ESL Australia will also host two online tournaments to get gamers excited.
]]>The Division of Gaming Enforcement in New Jersey has approved online sportsbooks to accept wagers for the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Legend Series. Gambling enthusiasts are allowed to place pre-match and in-play single outcome wagers, such as overall and match-winner.
This is the second time the DGE has approved an esports event for wagering. The first time was last year for the LoL World Championship finals. The director of the New Jersey DGE stated that esports has emerged as a cultural and economic force, quickly matching the same level as traditional sports.
He also said that New Jersey must accommodate gambling fans and how they interact with their favorite team and events. The addition of esports gives sportsbook users a wider variety of betting options and makes the Garden State a more attractive contender for investors that drive the industry.
Asia
DAMWON Gaming’s key player, Jang “Nuguri” Ha-gwon, will arrive late to the League of Legends World Championship. The young player had to undergo surgery for lung disease, pneumothorax. He is doing well and is set to be discharged from the hospital on September 13.
The rest of the DAMWON Gaming team is set to arrive in Shanghai on September 11, with Nuguri joining on the 18th. All players that attend the event must stay in quarantine for 14 days upon their arrival. Nuguri’s late departure means that he’ll join the Championship a week late.
The LoL Worlds starts September 25, and the DAMWON team are the favorites to win the series. Despite Juguri arriving late, he should be able to play with his teammates in time.
The African Cyber Gaming League announced that the Toyota Esports Challenge would commence and be played on WRC 9. The series has a $3,600 (equivalent to R60,000) sponsorship from Toyota South Africa.
Submissions open on September 14 for the first stage, with new ones and added restrictions released each week afterward. The final showdown will be on October 14. The competition is open to players on Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4, and they can submit multiple submissions every week. However, the best time will be placed on the leaderboard.
All submissions must be uploaded to the ACGL website to stand a chance at being crowned the champion.
The United Kingdom and Ireland regional ESL Premiership have announced a new partnership deal with Puntt for the 2020 Autumn season. The new partnership provides a different way for the community to interact with the ESL Premiership teams and players.
ESL also announced the extension of their deal with Stakester after the Spring 2020 season. Razor is also one of the latest sponsors to join the regional ESL Premiership.
Unfortunately, the ESL One Rio 2020 CS: GO Major has been canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ESL and it’s sponsor, Valve, worked tirelessly through various alternative options for the event to occur, but decided that cancellation would be the best for all involved.
The Oceanic Esports Dota 2 League playoff week is around the halfway mark, and the Power of Friendship team struggles to find their feet. The squad is battling a 1-15 win-loss record, and it doesn’t seem they can break through. Power of Friendship is bringing a good game, but are stumped at almost every match.
]]>UW Esports is the latest addition to the University of Washington. The competitive gaming association is led by students at the school who pushed for the creation of an esports program.
UW is also looking for a manager that’ll oversee the four teams competing in League of Legends, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Super Smash Bros. All four will receive training space and social media promos as they prepare for collegiate tournaments and leagues. In addition, they’ll get UW Esports jerseys.
Cloud9, who were at the top level of Counter Strike: Global Offensive esports in 2018, have announced that they will be dropping their entire roster and starting fresh. The organization let their fans know about the overhaul via Youtube and a post on their website.
The news comes as a result of the roster lacking balance and struggling to achieve the level they had a few years ago. In the meantime, the members will continue to represent Cloud9 until the conclusion of ESL Pro League Season 12.
TNC Predator have won their first online Dota 2 esports event. The team participated at ESL One Thailand, where they defeated BOOM Esports 3-2 to clinch their first title of any kind since the 2019 MDL Chengdu Major.
Damien “kpii” Chok of TNC Predator is also one of the finalists for the ESL One Thailand 2020 Mercedes Benz MVP. Also in the running is Fnatic’s Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong, with the winner of the final vote to receive a new Mercedes Benz car.
Kiran Maharaj, chairperson of the University Sports South Africa eSport committee, says that esports is on the rise in SA universities. Over the last year, 17 university teams have joined the esports community.
The industry is still new to the country, and there are some challenges ahead; for example, bandwidth problems and the lack of a dedicated esports federation. However, Maharaj says that students are interested in getting involved, and there’s no need to persuade or encourage them to form teams and join.
The lockdown due to COVID-19 initially presented some issues but has since put esports in the front seat in modern sports engagement.
The Portuguese Esports Federation, which is already a member of the European Esports Federation and the International Esports Federation, has announced that it’ll be joining the Esports Integrity Commission. By becoming a part of the commission, the federation will comply with ESIC’s Player Code of Conduct, Anti-Corruption Code, and Anti-Doping Code.
Tiago Fernandes, president of the Portuguese Esports Federation, says that joining ESI will ensure that players participate in fair competitions. It’ll also boost the esports industry within the country and give commercial partners the confidence to invest in local teams and tournaments.
9z Team, the Argentinean esports organization, has accepted a sponsorship from Logitech G, the team confirmed. The company will provide the team, players, and streamers with all the necessary equipment and technology.
9z Team participate in Riot Games’ LoL and VALORANT, Epic Games’ Fortnite, and Valve’s CS: GO. Their other sponsors include GIGABYTE, BLK, and Red Bull, among others.
Many industries have struggled since the onset of COVID-19, but esports are thriving all over the world. This is proven by Matt Walsh joining the New Zealand Esports Federation.
Walsh, who is a part-owner of the New Zealand Breakers basketball team, formed Black Sheep, the country’s very first esports organization. His joining the federation could prove to be impactful, as he has a wealth of knowledge and experience in traditional sports that he can carry over to esports.
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