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The boom of virtual gaming tournaments

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The global gaming industry is undergoing rapid change and is seeing significant growth year on year. It is currently worth around £116 billion, and it is expected to grow by a Compound Annual Growth Rate percentage of 12.9% between now and the year 2027.
There are a number of key factors that are driving this, including the availability and advancement of technology. Both the hardware and software of games consoles, computers and gaming accessories are improving greatly in terms of efficiency, innovation and usability.
Increased access to internet services with decent connection and speed has also influenced this, as well as the relatively new development of influencer marketing through streaming platforms. Of course, it is also undeniable that recent global events have meant that people have had to spend more time at home social distancing and have found themselves playing more games. Gaming has provided entertainment and social engagement to people who may have been too busy to play regularly before. There are game types to suit everybody, from action and adventure games to strategy and puzzle games. All gaming sectors have seen an increase of gameplay during this period and one in particular is the casino industry. In the last several months, many people have signed up to one of many casino sites to play their favourite games like blackjack and poker. The increase of players has been forced by the closure of land-based casinos meaning people had to move online to access casino games. And it was not just normal casino games that had to take place online, many large gambling events like the World Series of Poker tournament also had to move online due to the recent pandemic. Many events and competitions were already taking place virtually, however this year has seen more events than ever make the transition online, is this phenomenon going to stay?
Virtual Competitions
There has also been a boom in virtual gaming tournaments, or esports tournaments, during this time. The number of tournaments has skyrocketed in comparison to previous years, so too has the audience numbers on streaming sites such as Twitch and YouTube. As conventional tournaments across the sports and entertainment industries have faced cancellations or postponements, virtual competitions have acted as their replacements.
There are three main types of esports that are run as virtual gaming competitions. One is first person shooters (FPSs), these can be player v player or team games, with popular examples including Call of Duty, Doom and Counter-Strike. There are also fighter gaming competitions, such as those held for Super Smash Bros or Street Fighter. However, some of the most anticipated tournaments are those in the Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) category, with League of Legends and DOTA 2 being the big names in this area.
Many players participate in these events due to their financial incentives. Large corporations sponsoring these events draw in professional players with the promise of huge cash prizes. Pros train for these events all year round, gaming to them is a career choice as they fund their passion through prize winning and sponsorship deals scored through their streaming channels. DOTA 2 is by far one of the biggest tournaments in terms of the amount of prize money it gives out. Since the game was released in 2013, there have been 54 tournaments and the average prize has been a hefty sum of $111,111 US dollars. This year’s prize money hase totalled $6 million.
Replacing Sporting Events
Virtual gaming tournaments this year have acted as a good replacement for some of the major sporting events.
After F1 was forced to postpone earlier this year, Torque Esports’ All-Star Esport Battle took over in March. Racers from a variety of motorsports joined in on the action, including the legendary Max Verstappen. Verstappen found victory at the Redline’s Real Racers Never Quit competition series when he won the first qualifier, however the final saw Rudy Van Buren take home the top prize after he dropped out. Van Buren actually holds the title of ‘World’s Fastest Gamer’ in 2017.
There was also the virtual Formula One Grand Prix which attracted both pro gamers and champion F1 stars. This was the second time the event ran and this year it was based on Albert Park circuit in Melbourne. Competitors included Ben Stokes, an England cricketer, and racing driver Alex Albon. The trophy was won by two time Grand Prix winner Charles Leclerc.
Another high-profile esports tournament was the Fortnite World Cup. In the summer of 2019, the Fortnite finals were streamed across Twitch, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook and within the game itself. Weekly online tournaments started in April, with players from each region competing to qualify for the finals and be in for a chance of winning a cut of the $1,000,000 prize pool. The overall winner was 16 year old Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, who lifted the trophy at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. This year however, Epic Games have had to put a stop to the World Cup this year due to the cross-region nature of the event. They instead moved all over competitions exclusively online this year, including the Fortnite Champion Series and the Fortnite Cash Cups.
Virtual Gaming Industry is Growing
At the rate that the virtual gaming industry is growing, in the future we may see the same kind of media coverage and attention for these tournaments as we do some of the major traditional sports competitions. Huge audiences already enjoy watching these events via live streams, and many also place bets too. As stadium events around the world continue to be cancelled and postponed, virtual gaming tournaments are continuing to become a more mainstream form of entertainment for fans of competitive sports.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: The boom of virtual gaming tournaments
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The post Nagoshi Studio Unveils GANG OF DRAGON, a New Action-Adventure Game from Director Toshihiro Nagoshi appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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This collaboration marks a pivotal step in the company’s mission to provide the most accurate, transparent, and data-backed content. Under the terms of this agreement, Blask will provide Gamblers Connect with complete access to its cutting-edge market intelligence platform.
This suite includes the Blask Index and real-time data tracking across more than 100 jurisdictions, allowing for granular analysis of market dynamics, brand performance, and player behaviour. By integrating these professional-grade tools into the editorial process, Gamblers Connect will elevate the depth and precision of its industry reporting.
The cornerstone of this partnership is a commitment to sharing knowledge with the wider iGaming community. Gamblers Connect will produce four exclusive case studies throughout 2026. Released once per quarter, these comprehensive reports will utilise Blask’s advanced analytics to uncover emerging trends, benchmark operator performance, and provide actionable insights for industry stakeholders.
This alliance represents a shared vision for a more transparent iGaming sector. By combining Blask’s technological prowess with Gamblers Connect’s editorial expertise, the aim is to set a new standard for data-driven journalism.
Max Tesla, Blask CEO, commented: “Partnering with Gamblers Connect is a natural step for Blask. We are building an ecosystem of transparent analytics that empowers the industry, and GC is one of the few media partners that truly values data and knows how to work with it. I’m confident this collaboration will strengthen both sides and deliver more accurate, trustworthy, and insight-driven content to the iGaming community.”
Gjorgje Ristikj, Founder & CEO at Gamblers Connect, added: “Partnering with Blask allows us to combine their strong analytical framework with our media expertise. It’s a collaboration grounded in trust and mutual respect, with the shared goal of delivering meaningful and measurable results to the industry.”
The post Blask & Gamblers Connect Enter A New Media Partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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The law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan have effectively eliminated the organized criminal group created by Vadim Gordievsky from Ukraine and his accomplices, Larisa Ivchenko and Alyona Suvorova. Even though the law enforcement agencies managed to block accounts and payments of the Marginplus Company, key employees and management are still hiding.
According to the media, just a few days ago, the Financial Monitoring Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan revealed a large-scale shady scheme of cross-border transfers that involved numerous payment organizations and providers. The funds were disguised as legal transactions and withdrawn to the accounts of online casinos. The total volume of illegal transactions exceeded more than $1 billion.
According to law enforcement authorities in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the key organizer of the miscoding scheme, which involved bookmakers, online casinos, payment organizations, and bank employees, is Vadim Ivanovich Gordievsky from Ukraine, who was born in 1974. He was the leader of the organized criminal group and used the local Marginplus Company for these purposes (official website: marginplus.kz). In addition to companies from Kazakhstan, Gordievsky also worked with illegal Russian online casinos while helping them to facilitate illegal payments.
According to new information from law enforcement agencies in the Republic of Kazakhstan, banks and bookmakers, including the local PIN-UP bookmaker, have already terminated all cooperation with Gordievsky’s Marginplus company.
According to informburo.kz, the local licensed Pin-Up.Kz bookmaker (legal entity: Bonami LLP) declares that it has nothing to do with transactions carried out by individual payment organizations. Judicial and criminal proceedings have already been initiated against these structures, and the company itself is fully cooperating with law enforcement agencies to establish all the circumstances and identify fraudulent, shady schemes.
According to unofficial information, the Pin-Up management provided the law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan with all the data related to the Marginplus company belonging to Vadim Gordievsky.
As of today, all financial activities of Marginplus have been paralyzed. In addition, large amounts of money have been blocked in its bank accounts. This money should have been paid to partners, contractors, and providers, including the local Parimatch betting company. Ordinary employees of Vadim Gordievsky’s company are already looking for new work while its management, including Larisa Vladimirovna Ivchenko (listed as the head of Gordievsky’s FC Alta Capital from Ukraine), is still hiding. Alyona (Elena) Suvorova has already closed and renamed her social media profiles a few days ago. In addition, she does not respond to messages and is trying to evade responsibility.
We would like to remind the audience that Alyona Suvorova positions herself “as an entrepreneur, investor, and a crypto trader with 5+ years of experience.” According to Suvorova herself, she has been developing payment technologies in the field of FinTech for 10 years. In 2021, she opened her own business for international crypto transfers. In addition, she is the founder of the Lemoncoin Crypto Academy.
According to investigators, Gordievsky’s partner, Mikhail Kovalev (Mykhaylo Kovalov), who is a citizen of both Ukraine and Israel, as well as an owner of a number of companies in the EU, in particular, in Poland, and who has a residence permit in Spain, was closely working with Gordievsky. By using the STABLEX SOLUTION Sp. z o. o fictitious company (official website: solvexs.pl) in Poland, he was engaged in illegal payments and withdrawal of cryptocurrencies into fiat money.
At the same time, as the source notes, the mentioned management and the people involved in the money laundering of Marginplus Company will be added to the wanted list of Interpol in the nearest future. The National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan has also announced that it’s going to closely monitor this case. According to local laws, participants of this shady scheme face up to nine years in prison. Information on Vadim Gordievsky’s companies and connections in other countries is also being checked.
After the initiation of criminal cases for financial crimes, fraud, and the announcement of his wanted list by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vadim Gordievsky left Ukraine on forged documents. Before diving into the world of financial fraud, he was involved in land and property issues in the Kyiv region. As of today, numerous criminal cases have been initiated.
The post Law enforcement officers from Kazakhstan eliminated the organized financial criminal group organized by Vadim Gordievsky, Larisa Ivchenko, and Alyona Suvorova from Ukraine appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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