The F1 Sim Racing championship is back in the Stockholm arena (Sweden) for Event 2 of 2025. After the opening four races in January, the Scuderia Ferrari HP Esports Team drivers are confident and ready to score points to be front runners during the second part of the season.

A complicated start – After memorably winning the constructors’ world championship in the 2023/2024 season, Bari Broumand and Nicolas Longuet struggled to repeat that form in the opening event of the year, even if the former secured a stunning win at the Bahrain circuit. Apart from that, there were complications in either qualifying or the race in Australia, China and Saudi Arabia which means the team is currently fifth in the constructors’ standings, 50 points off the leader. It’s a big gap but not an insurmountable one, with eight races remaining.

The calendar – Event 2 takes place from 11 to 13 February and features races on the classic European tracks of Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and Zandvoort, as well as the United States GP in Austin. It’s an important step on the way to the final, which runs from 25 to 27 March, with the Grands Prix in Mexico, Brazil, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Grace Media, the leading provider of white-label online gaming solutions, has strengthened its senior leadership team with two new hires and two promotions.

James Goodliffe joins as Head of Sportsbook, a role to which he’ll bring more than 25 years of experience at some of the biggest names in the industry, including Ladbrokes, Gamesys and LiveScore Group.

Also joining the Grace Media team is Frazer McNaughton, as Head of Compliance, having previously held safer gambling roles at companies including William Hill and Midnite.

Grace Media has also promoted two existing staffers to senior positions. Chris Prentice assumes the new role of Head of Revenue & Commercial Partnerships, where he’ll be tasked with expanding the company’s portfolio of partners.

And Gary Barber becomes Grace Media’s new Marketing & Operations Director, expanding his remit to include a focus on ROI within the marketing spend.

Grace Media CEO Warren Jacobs said: “It is exciting to see the Grace Media team growing, and these appointments reflect our commitment to delivering the very best to our partners. James and Frazer add significant experience and know-how, while Chris and Gary are now even better positioned to drive the business forward. With such a strong team in place, it’s set to be a landmark year for Grace Media.”

Grace Media helps some of the biggest gaming brands in the world into the UK market via white-label agreements, as well as providing support across CRM, compliance, payments and fraud protection and more.

Last year, the company partnered with Rollbit for the fast-growing operator’s UK debut.

The Esports World Cup Foundation (“EWCF”) and Riot Games today announced a three-year partnership that will see VALORANT, the award-winning 5v5 tactical shooter and one of the world’s most popular esports, make its highly anticipated debut at the Esports World Cup 2025, alongside the return of League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics (TFT).

As the leading titles in their respective genres, all three games will showcase the best clubs, players and talent the esports world has to offer when they come on stage in Riyadh this summer. League of Legends fans can look forward to an international event featuring the best teams battling it out for prestige on a global stage and a life-changing prize pool; VALORANT will bring together some of its most compelling players for the largest major tournament outside the VCT structure; and TFT will provide opportunities for top, international talent to compete in an exciting team format.

The collaboration strengthens the EWC’s position as a global platform for the industry’s most influential games, uniting top esports titles under one competitive banner to expand their reach, engage new audiences, and shape the future of esports as mainstream entertainment. The addition of VALORANT further solidifies this mission, bringing one of the most impactful games to the esports ecosystem in recent years to the event. To date, 23 tournaments in 22 games – including first-person shooters, MOBAs, battle royales, real-time strategy and fighting games – have been announced for 2025, with more to come.

In addition, the agreement includes a global commercial partnership between EWCF and LOL Esports, the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), and the TFT 2025 competitive circuit. Kicking off at VCT Masters Bangkok on February 20, 2025, the collaboration will feature EWC in-broadcast activations at LoL Esports, VCT, and TFT global LAN events.

“Riot Games has shaped the cultural impact of competitive gaming, transforming esports into a global entertainment force,” said Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer, Esports World Cup Foundation. “With League of Legends’ iconic World Championship – which continues to set new standards for immersive experiences, VALORANT’s cultural collaborations, and Teamfight Tactics’ community-driven events, Riot has pioneered an ecosystem far beyond competition. By bringing these titles to the Esports World Cup, we are not just celebrating elite gameplay – we are, together, expanding esports as a global entertainment movement, creating deeper connections with fans across gaming, music, and digital culture.”

League of Legends, one of the world’s most popular games with 100 million active monthly players, delivered a standout moment at the EWC 2024 Grand Final as esports legend Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok led T1 to victory in front of 12.5 million viewers online and thousands of fans in Riyadh. Meanwhile, in the Teamfight Tactics Grand Finals, T1 fell just short, as Wolves Esports, representing English Premier League club Wolves, claimed the title with a 3-1 win, led by MVP Li “LiShao” Chengyu.

Esports World Cup 2025 will once again unite gaming and esports communities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a global competition that will crown the next Esports World Cup Champion. The tournament’s unique cross-game format will reward clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool across a mix of platforms and genres, bringing together esports’ best teams, players and games under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of esports.