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What Drives Viewership: Breaking Down Esports Success
At its core, esports is a marketing tool for competitive games to showcase the full spectrum of the possibilities. What started as local LAN parties and gaming conventions has now grown into a full-fledged industry; an industry that fills arenas, supports thousands of careers and impacts millions of lives daily. These events that started small, now support an investment market with a humble valuation of $3.7 billion (2025) and is expected to rise to $40 billion before 2034. This growingmore

Blitzcrank joins 2XKO Closed Beta
Riot Games’ 2v2 tag-team fighting game’s roster just got bigger. Along with the release of the closed beta on Tuesday, September 9, League’s Support Champion Blitzcrank will join 2XKO. Blitzcrank joins the fold The indestructible automaton from Zaun, Blitzcrank is one of the oldest Champions introduced to League of Legends. Previously designed as a Tank/Support champion, Blitzcrank is currently a bot lane Support mainstay. Similar to its League version, 2XKO Blitzcrank has the “Rocket Grab” and the iterations of themore

All the Winners of the Esports Awards 2025
The Esports Awards 2025, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, served as a celebration marking not just a year but an entire decade of esports excellence from 2015 to 2025. The event celebrated the most influential players, teams, organizers, publishers, personalities, and moments that shaped the global esports community across this pivotal era. Here is a detailed look at all the major winners crowned during this historic ceremony. Game of the Decade: League of Legends The crown for Esports Game of the Decade was awarded to League of Legends. As one of the most-viewed esports titles ever, League of Legends hasmore

Esports Nations Cup Announced for 2026: 100+ Countries, 15 games, one stage
After the success of the Esports World Cup featuring some of the best organizations, the EWCF now plans to organize an even bigger fiesta — the Esports Nations Cup. In November 2026, the best esports athletes from around the world will gather in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, donning their national colors. What do we know about the Esports Nations Cup? At the New Global Sport Conference 2025, the EWCF officially announced the Esports Nations Cup, a tournament featuring national teams. “Nation versus nation competition is the ultimate expression of sport. The ENC makes this a reality for esports, giving every fanmore

Team Falcons claims back-to-back EWC Club Championships
Team Falcons has successfully defended their EWC Club Championship title, securing their second crown in the 2025 edition held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While this back-to-back victory represents a remarkable achievement, the path to glory reveals a narrative about financial resources, participation breadth, and the surprisingly competitiveness other organizations were able to achieve, almost spoiling Falcons party. Falcons' multi-title assault Team Falcons approached the 2025 Esports World Cup with a clear strategy; compete in nearly everything. The Saudi Arabian organizationmore

StarCraft Successor Arrives? Stormgate Releases First Official Campaign "Ashes of Earth"
The RTS (real-time strategy) genre lives on. More than a year after the game became available in Early Access, Stormgate has officially launched its first full campaign: Ashes of Earth. By the hand of seasoned developers with experience in both StarCraft II and Warcraft III, Stormgate launches an exciting new addition into the genre, promising to deliver passion and hard work into the world of RTS gaming. What Is Stormgate? Stormgate comes from Frost Giant Studios, which was founded back inmore

Magnus Carlsen wins the inaugural Chess Esports World Cup
The current no.1 Chess player, Magnus Carlsen, has won the inaugural Chess Esports World Cup by defeating Alireza Firouzja in the Grand Finals. With the win, Magnus has won $250k for himself and 1000 Club Championship points for Team Liquid. Chess at EWC 2025: A Recap The EWC 2025 Chess action kicked off with the LCQs featuring 16 players. Only five of them made it through: Nihal Sarin Javokhir Sindarov Levon Aronian Anish Giri Andrey Episenko These joined the 11more

Olympic Esports Games Confirmed for Riyadh 2027 as Part of 12-Year Partnership
The International Olympic Committee has officially confirmed that the inaugural Olympic Esports Games will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027. The announcement comes almost one year after the 142nd IOC Session took place in Paris on July 2024, where members unanimously voted to create this new Olympic competition. IOC Decision and Timeline The IOC made history when it decided to create the Olympic Esports Games during its session held alongside the 2024 Paris Olympics. Initially planned for 2025,more

Serral Returns to the Top of StarCraft II with Victory at the Esports World Cup 2025
The King is back on the throne once more! Joona "Serral" Sotala put on a dominant performance at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025, capping off his journey with a victory over Kim "Classic" Doh-woo in the Grand Finals to become your new StarCraft II World Champion. Serral Is Back to the Top! Despite his unrivaled legacy in StarCraft II, 2025 had not been Serral's year so far. Just two months ago, the Finnish player's path at DreamHack Dallas camemore

Improving at StarCraft 2: Key Strategies and Mindset Adjustments for Competitive Play
With the Esports World Cup 2025 bringing StarCraft 2 back to the global stage from July 22-25, 2025, there's never been a better time to elevate your gameplay. The tournament features an impressive $700,000 prize pool and brings together the world's top 18 players, including defending champion Clem and legendary competitors like Serral, Maru, and herO. It doesn't matter if you're starting at bronze league beginner or is already a established diamond player looking to rise up to the masters, mastering how to get better atmore

Chess EWC 2025: Players, Format, Schedule, Results, and More
The Chess EWC 2025 is on the horizon. The event will officially introduce chess into the esports scene, bridging the gap between a traditional board game and modern PC gaming. The inaugural tournament will be played on Chess.com and will act as the CCT conclusion. It will also bring some of the biggest names in the Chess world to the esports stage. Let's take a look at what the tournament has in store for us. Format and Players The Chessmore

StarCraft II Esports World Cup 2025: Players, Format, Schedule, Prize Pool, and More
StarCraft II is set to return to the biggest stage once more during the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025. Starting Tuesday, July 22nd, 18 players will compete for the trophy, and a slice of the $700,000 prize pool. Let's take a look at everything you need to know about the EWC 2025 StarCraft II tournament. Format and Schedule The tournament will be split into three phases: the Play-In Stage, the Group Stage, and the Playoffs. Here's how these will work: Play-In Stage (July 22nd) Four players Double-elimination bracket Matches are Bo3 Top 2 players qualify for the Group Stage Group Stage (July 22nd-24th)more

Esports World Cup Fantasy Game Lets You Fight for a Share of $200,000
The Esports World Cup Fantasy Game allow fans to interact with the world's largest esports tournament. For the first time in the tournament's history (EWC 2025), spectators can actively participate in the competition beyond just watching, creating a more immersive and engaging experience. What is EWC Fantasy? EWC Fantasy is a free-to-play fantasy sports platform that allows fans to create virtual teams using real professional esports players and compete for cash prizes. Developed in partnership with Genius Sports, the platform features a massive $200,000 prizemore

"There's no other event in esports that's operating at this scale" Fabian Scheuermann on the Challenges and Ambitions of the Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup has returned for its second year with even more games and prestige on the line. With all the excitement of major titles as League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and VALORANT to name a few participating, as well as well-established organizations such as T1, Sentinels, and Team Liquid in attendance, the EWC has become a collecting centre for esports fans to enjoy all their favorite titles in one extravaganza. Recently, Strafe Esports sat down with Fabianmore

Predecessor, the Third-Person MOBA, Set to Enter Esports with Championship Circuit
Predecessor, a next-generation team-based strategy MOBA game developed by Omeda Studios, has announced their new championship circuit. The announcement follows the success of the recent Summer Showdown Creator Tournament back in April of this year. Titled the Predecessor Championship Circuit, it is set to seize the momentary momentum garnered and – hopefully transform what has been up until now grassroots and community passion - into a fully-fledged competitive esports circuit. What is Predecessor? Predecessor is a visionary reimagining of themore

Team Liquid loses Honda Sponsorship after offensive Social Media post
American Honda Motor Co., Inc has officially ended its partnership with esports organization Team Liquid following a controversial social media post by one of the team's Rainbow Six Siege players. The huge sponsorship termination comes after Lucas "DiasLucasBr" Dias shared an inappropriate GIF related to atomic bombing on his social media account, causing widespread backlash in the esports community and beyond. The incident after CAG Osaka x Team Liquid On May 13, 2025, following Team Liquid's loss to Japanese teammore

HerO Becomes First Protoss Player to Lift a GSL Trophy in Three Years
After an extended dry spell for the race, Kim "herO" Joon-ho has single handedly brought the Protoss race back to glory in South Korea after coming away with the 2025 Global StarCraft II League (GSL) Season 1 trophy. The path to the top was no easy road for the veteran player, who ultimately became the last man standing after a thrilling seven-game-long Grand Finals. With the win, herO also secured himself a spot at the upcoming Esports World Cup 2025more

Evolution of a Legend: The Influence of GuMiho in StarCraft II Competition
Few names in the world of StarCraft II command as much respect and curiosity as GuMiho. Known as the “Towel Terran” for his unique habit of playing with a towel on his mouse hand, GuMiho has become a central figure in the global StarCraft community. His SC2 career not only reflects personal achievement but also mirrors the evolution of South Korean Esports and the growing international reach of the game, especially with his recent move to S8UL Esports. The Rise of GuMiho in South Korean Esports Koh "GuMiho" Byung Jae began his professional journey in 2010, during the early days of StarCraft II.more

Esports World Cup Foundation Launches “Road to EWC” Campaign
The Esports World Cup Foundation announced today the launch of Road to EWC, a global campaign centered on the player and Club journeys. “The global initiative will spotlight the diverse paths players take to qualify for the EWC, celebrating the passion, rivalries, and competitive spirit that connect global audiences to the world’s largest esports event.” Building Up to the Esports World Cup Set to run from May until August, Road to EWC will be more, well, a road through. With the Esports World Cup 2025 kicking off on July 7th and running until August 28th, the campaign will document themore

Esports World Cup launches 'Music of EWC' featuring compositions from Hollywood Scoring
The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced the creation of a new initiative which will see music play a larger role at the upcoming Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC). The 'Music of EWC' program will feature original tracks from some of the most legendary studios and producers on the globe, as well as an open competition with amazing opportunities. Music of EWC: On the shoulders of giants The new initiative will be spearheaded by some of the leading figures inmore
