Latest News
Valorant Champions Peak Viewership Drops in 2023
With peak viewership in Valorant Champions dropping for the first time in 2023, Naim ‘Enkay’ Rosinsky, Editor at THESPIKE .GG, explores the path to esports growth in an exclusive interview with Rivington Bisland who witnessed the defining moments of both games.
2023 saw the continued rise in overall viewership in esport titles of League of Legends and VALORANT, video games released by the famed game developer Riot Games. While League of Legends, a title released in 2009, continues being at the forefront of popularity in the esports sphere, VALORANT has been climbing the ranks in the competitive first-person shooter sector of the esports market, despite it being a still young title, released during the COVID-19 times of 2020.
Naturally, League has established itself as a powerhouse in esports. An immense growth in viewership has not slowed down over the last couple of years as the MOBA genre continues to thrive, with Dota2 being the game’s main competitor in the sphere.
Meanwhile, VALORANT entered the competitive FPS scene with many more well-established competitive titles. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (now Counter-Strike 2), Rainbow Six: Siege, Call of Duty, or even Overwatch, have been on the market for much longer. Despite that, Riot Games’ sole FPS title continues to surprise year-on-year with improvements and new initiatives to its esports landscape. In 2023 one such initiative was the introduction of the franchised Tier 1 League, named VCT International Leagues 2023. This follows in the footsteps of League of Legends’ League Championship Series (LCS) which features a top-tier franchising system.
CHAMPIONS VS. WORLDS: CONCURRENT PEAK EVENT VIEWERSHIP
The VALORANT Champions and League of Legends’ World Championship (also referred to as “Worlds”) are the most notable events for the respective titles in any given season. These events boast only the finest Tier 1 teams that have excelled over the year in other events, granting themselves an entry to the elusive Champions or Worlds. It’s safe to say that the team that wins Champions or Worlds is typically considered to be the best team in the world in that season in the respective esport.
For the sake of a fair viewership comparison, this article compares seasons 2021, 2022, and 2023. VALORANT launched in June of 2020, and while it did hold esport events, it wasn’t until 2021 that it began to fully implement a more fleshed out structure with Masters and Champions events featuring the best teams. League of Legends has been seeing an immense growth in terms of peak viewership year-on-year. Each event that attained the peak viewership numbers given in the graph was the year’s Worlds event.
According to data that thespike .gg received from escharts .com, peak viewership in 2021 and 2022 both saw VALORANT Champions in the respective years feature a growing concurrent peak viewership. However, 2023, saw VALORANT Champions Los Angeles attain a peak viewership of 1 291 045, a dip compared to 2022’s Champions in Istanbul. The tournament with peak viewership of 2023 was VCT 2023: LOCK//IN Sao Paulo, which was a “kick-off” event featuring all teams of the newly introduced VCT International Leagues. To take it a step further, it would be fair to compare the numbers of the first three Worlds events against the first three VALORANT Champions tournaments. The following graph shows the peak viewership for the first three VALORANT Champions and LoL Worlds events held.
While the first Worlds event featured a mere 210,000 (still a hefty number) of peak concurrent viewers, 2012 and 2013 Worlds had garnered a lower concurrent peak viewership (excluding television viewers). Given that the two events took place ten years apart, it remains impressive how League of Legends managed to attain such a hefty viewership, especially considering the popularity and reach of esports in general back then was nowhere near as it is today.
RIVINGTON ON GROWING ESPORTS VIEWERSHIP
Rivington Bruce Bisland III, known as Riv, has been heavily involved as a commentator and analyst at both League of Legends and VALORANT.
He started his journey in 2012, being invited as a commentator for Season 2 Worlds. Since then, he’s been invested as a caster, commentator, and interviewer in League of Legendseach year until 2019. Starting from 2020 however, Rivington transitioned to being a commentator and analyst at a plethora of VCT events, including VALORANT Champions, Game Changers, or VCT Americas League. Additionally, 2023 saw him receive and invitation to a collegiate finals event, Red Bull Campus Clutch.
“So from League to VALORANT, it was a godsend because 2000-2010 was my Counter-Strike 1.6 phase. I played, competed, never professionally or anything cause the scene just wasn’t there yet,” said Rivington. “It was around 2019 when Riot said, ‘Would you like to do this thing? We have a side-project going on.’ And I was just like, ‘What?!’ Cause they knew I was a Counter-Strike player and that just lit my eyes up. It felt amazing to go back to my roots, to call the shots that got me into the commentary and be able to relate to the 2v1 site takes or the defuse clutch that for a while turned into baron steals and dragon fights to then go back to FPS.”
Given the large gap in viewership, we asked Rivington at Campus Clutch Finals in Istanbul, what does he think Riot Games should do to bring the viewership numbers of VALORANT closer to that of League. With a smile on his face Riv exclaimed: “T1 Faker in VALORANT!”
Despite a clear joke, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok has become a global esports icon. In 2023, the famed League player won his fourth Worlds, being the only player to do so ever with Bae “Bengi” Seong-woong taking the number 2 spot with 3 World trophies behind his belt.
Naturally, each discipline, be it esport or traditional sport, features icons that are globally recognizable. Be it football’s Ronaldo or Messi, Formula 1’s Schumacher, League’s Faker, Counter-Strike’s s1mple, or VALORANT’s Boaster. Knowing that, Rivington argues that the storylines that develop from competitions are what drive viewership forward.
“I think the stories are huge,” he continues, “the way they’re growing the scene (Riot for VALORANT), from collegiate here, Red Bull is helping with that. We never had this kind of stuff in League of Legends and LoL was able to take the world by storm.” “So I think we’re in that growth period now for VALORANT and it’s going to be exponential with how it’s grown for League of Legends because it’s still Riot. They still know how to grow and how to create those stories to get people attached to a team you may not know in China, but you’re going to love them at the end of it. You don’t have to like VALORANT to do that. That’s one of the greatest things that can bridge that gap for people. Like ‘What’s this game?’ I may not know, but I’m involved with this story.”
VALORANT recently held its next iteration of VALORANT Game Changers Championship with Shopify Rebellion lifting the trophy in Brazil. With a growing interest in women’s and marginalized genders’ scene, hopeful improvements to the Tier 2 ecosystem, and the VCT International Leagues slightly revamped for the 2024 season, VALORANT has many more storylines to unfold. And with that, according to Riv, soaring viewership for the competitive shooter.
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Sportradar Group AG (NASDAQ: SRAD) has been granted a gaming-related vendor license from the United Arab Emirates’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), an independent entity of the UAE Federal Government with exclusive jurisdiction to regulate, license, and supervise all commercial gaming activities.
The license, operational with immediate effect, affords Sportradar the opportunity to provide its products and services to licensed operators.
Sportradar looks forward to bringing its 20+ year expertise and proprietary sports technology to operators and clients in the region.
The post SPORTRADAR AWARDED UNITED ARAB EMIRATES LICENSE appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Why Today’s Affiliate Ecosystem Demands an Upgrade
The global iGaming landscape, and especially the crypto-casino sector, is undergoing explosive growth. Data from Yield Sec shows that the total gross profit of crypto casinos in 2024 reached approximately $81.4 billion — a three- to fourfold increase compared to two years before.
In parallel, the affiliate marketing market is also seeing significant expansion. According to SOFTSWISS, revenue generated via crypto affiliate services doubled in the first half of 2024 versus the same period in 2023. The upward trend continues in 2025: transaction activity is growing, and the number of engaged users in the crypto iGaming space keeps rising month after month.
Yet, most traditional crypto casino affiliate programs still rely on outdated models — CPA and RevShare — that come with notable drawbacks: limited flexibility, insufficient analytical transparency, delayed reward distribution, and negative carryover issues.
All these factors highlight the need for a new kind of affiliate ecosystem — transparent, mutually beneficial, and focused on long-term value. It is in this context that the Qzino affiliate program launches, redefining the role of affiliates in the crypto-iGaming industry.
Next-Generation Crypto iGaming Experience with Qzino
Qzino is a crypto-iGaming platform set to launch in fall 2025 (Explore the Qzino launch). The platform will feature over 10,000 games — from global hits to in-house titles — along with sports and esports betting powered by AI analytics, its own token,Qzino profit sharing model, provably fair crypto casino mechanisms, and tokenized affiliate rewards.
The Qzino profit sharing model is a core innovation — distributing 50% of the revenue daily among token holders. They receive daily passive income, ensuring long-term motivation to stay connected to the platform and benefit from its growth.
Behind the project stands a team of over 100 professionals with proven experience in building platforms ranked among the top-10 global crypto casinos. The platform operates under an official Anjouan Gambling License and utilizes provably fair crypto casino technology.
Qzino Crypto Affiliate Program — Launch Roadmap with Rewards
The Qzino affiliate program is structured in multiple phases, ensuring sub-affiliate earnings, community expansion, and transparent analytics at every stage:
- Stage 1: Mini App — current phase. An initial opportunity to invite users through free-to-play mechanics with real value, no deposit, and no complex registration. All referred users are permanently linked to the affiliate and automatically transferred to the full Web3 platform after launch — continuing to generate revenue.
- Stage 2: Platform launch & farming season — Fall 2025. The full platform goes live with gamified farming where users earn points for every bet. Affiliates receive dual rewards — a share of the platform’s profit and points for an upcoming airdrop, later converted into tokens.
- Stage 3: TGE, Airdrop & Scaling — at this stage, tokenized affiliate rewards and daily profit sharing are launched. Affiliates benefit from the growth of lifetime revenue share, additional sub-affiliate earnings, and the advantages of participating in the highest-paying affiliate program in gambling, with up to 50% revenue share.
How Qzino Offers Daily Profit Sharing and Lifetime Revenue Share for Affiliates
The Qzino affiliate program offers affiliates not just commissions, but a multi-tiered earning system across all stages:
- Revenue from each user — affiliates earn up to 50% revenue of the income generated by their referrals;
- Airdrop points — every user activity brings affiliates points later converted into tokens;
- Qzino tokens — provide access to the Qzino profit sharing model with daily profit sharing and asset growth potential;
- Sub-affiliate networks — affiliates can build their own network by inviting other partners and earning from their activity — creating long-term passive income in crypto affiliate partnerships.
Qzino crypto casino provides personal support at all collaboration stages, regular contests, challenges, exclusive drops and bonuses for active partners. The program is a crypto affiliate worldwide — open globally with no geographic restrictions.
All of this is managed in a dedicated affiliate dashboard, providing real-time commission tracking, so affiliates can monitor their earnings and activity. The affiliate dashboard ensures data transparency, accessibility, and automatic updates.
Exclusive Early Affiliate Rewards with Qzino Crypto Casino
Currently, the Qzino platform and affiliate program are in the Pre-Launch phase via MiniApp on Telegram — a unique moment for early affiliates.
The potential audience has not yet been distributed among partners, and most users are still available for acquisition. This gives affiliates the opportunity to build their own referral base using the free MiniApp mechanics. Most importantly, all referred users are automatically transferred to the full Web3 platform after launch and remain permanently linked to the affiliate.
The Next Step for the Crypto iGaming Industry
The Qzino affiliate program offers up to 50% revenue share, tokenized affiliate rewards, a long-term profit-sharing model, and scalable income through sub-affiliate earnings. Unlike traditional systems, Qzino doesn’t rely on outdated models — it establishes a new industry standard where partnership means real involvement in the project’s growth and profits, from early MiniApp participation to becoming a true co-owner of the ecosystem.
Qzino: join as a partner — emerge as a co-owner.
Visit the official website, apply now, and join the Qzino Affiliate Program — be part of the next generation of transparent, profit-sharing partnerships.
Contacts
Website: https://qzino.com
Email: [email protected]
X (Twitter): https://x.com/qzino_official
Whale.io, an online casino and sportsbook platform, has announced the launch of Crock Dentist, a new addition to its Whale Originals game series. This release marks the first time the classic game, known for its engaging tooth-pulling mechanics, has been adapted as an original online casino title. Alongside the game, Whale.io is minting 1,000 Crock Dentist NFTs, available on its platform, providing holders with access to airdrop rewards tied to the game’s performance. These digital collectibles are designed to connect in-game assets with real-world value, aligning with the broader Real World Asset (RWA) integration trend in gaming and blockchain.
Crock Dentist: A New Whale Original
Crock Dentist reimagines the traditional game as a digital casino experience, combining familiar gameplay with randomized outcomes and modern graphics. As part of the Whale Originals portfolio, it is designed to deliver a seamless and entertaining experience for players. The game operates with a 97% Return to Player (RTP), meaning 3% of each wager contributes to a house edge, which is redistributed to the holders through an airdrop system.
Crock Dentist NFTs: Minting, Earning, Trading
Whale.io’s Crock Dentist NFTs introduce a novel way for players to engage with the platform’s ecosystem. The NFTs, limited to a supply of 1,000, can be minted directly on Whale.io’s website. Key features include:
- Minting: Users can acquire a Crock Dentist NFT to participate in the platform’s reward system.
- Earning: Each NFT entitles holders to 0.1% of airdrops funded by the game’s 3% house edge. Airdrops are distributed in $WHALE, the platform’s native token, at random intervals..
- Trading: NFT holders can retain their assets to receive ongoing airdrops or trade them on secondary markets, based on their preferences.
The first weekend was an exclusive mint for Battlepass owners. It has been said that the public mint will open up for the public on Tuesday. Each user can mint up to 5 Crock NFTs and the mint price will increase daily until all 1000 NFTs are sold out. The airdrop pool grows with every spin played in Crock Dentist, creating a direct link between game activity and NFT holder rewards. Based on previous Whale Originals releases, the game performance is expected to grow consistently which translates to bigger airdrops for the NFT holders.
Transparency and Accessibility
Whale.io emphasizes transparency by maintaining publicly accessible wallet on its site:
- Royalty Wallet: Finding all the info related to aftermarket transactions, buybacks, collection royalty and airdrops from the blockchain.
This approach ensures users can verify all activities on the blockchain, fostering trust and accountability. Airdrops are automatically sent to NFT holders’ wallets, requiring no additional actions beyond minting and holding.
Integration with $WHALE Token
The $WHALE token serves as the native currency within Whale.io’s ecosystem. Currently, users can utilize $WHALE to play games, purchase battle passes, or stake for additional benefits. With the upcoming Token Generation Event (TGE), the platform plans to introduce further utilities, enhancing the token’s role across its offerings. The launch of Crock Dentist and its NFT collection arrives as Whale.io prepares for its $WHALE TGE, a milestone that will expand the platform’s ecosystem. By minting Crock Dentist NFTs, users can join the community early and participate in the evolving reward structure. The limited supply of 1,000 NFTs underscores the exclusivity of this opportunity.
About Whale.io
Whale.io is an online casino and sportsbook platform known for its proprietary Whale Originals games and community-driven reward systems. Crock Dentist is now live on Whale.io, with NFT minting open to all users. Committed to transparency and innovation, Whale.io serves a global user base with a focus on integrating gaming and blockchain technology.
Discovering the future of Whale.io Casino and Whale Token by checking them out here:
Website: https://whale.io/nft
Socials: https://linktr.ee/whalesocials_tg
Contact
Whale
Whale.io
-
Latest News2 months ago
Light & Wonder to Participate in the 2025 Australasian Gaming Expo
-
Latest News2 months ago
ReferOn Shortlisted for Acquisition & Retention Partner of the Year at SBC Lisbon 2025
-
Latest News2 months ago
Gavin Hamilton Joins Sports & Wellbeing Analytics as Chairman to Accelerate Global Expansion
-
Latest News2 months ago
Duels for Friends in Trophy Hunter. Invite your friends and create a shared space for fun and competition.
-
Latest News2 months ago
BC.GAME Launches “Nezha” Slot with Up to 46,656 Ways to Win and 10,000x Max Payout
-
Latest News3 months agoUzbekistan Introduces Penalties for Illegal Gambling Operations
-
Latest News4 weeks ago
Announcement: 25th September 2025
-
Latest News2 months ago
NODWIN Gaming Acquires Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Stake in Evo; Becomes Majority Holder
You must be logged in to post a comment Login