eSports Roundup 21/05
Here’s what’s been happening in the world of eSports over the last few weeks.
It’s been a busy couple of weeks in the world of eSports, so here’s your fortnightly roundup to keep you head of the game.
Challengermode and Female Legends join forces
Challengermode and Female Legends have collaborated to launch the Women’s Esports League (WEL). Working together with the Amateur eSports tournament platform, Female Legends is looking for the league to create a level playing field for women in professional gaming, with the ultimate goal of having more women represented in highly-competitive eSports than there are currently.
The league will begin in 2019 and include competition in popular games such as League of Legends and Valve’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, with a season one prize pool of $5.7K.
Winner of EE’S UK Clash Royale tournament will join Fnatic
Mobile operator EE has recently announced the launch of the EE Mobile Series – a Clash Royale tournament that offers players the chance to join the Fnatic gaming team.
The new competition will feature three stages, all coming to a head in an eight-player live final at the BT Sport studio in London, set to take place on Sunday 20 January next year. Aspiring competitive gamers across the UK are invited, and their journey to secure themselves a coveted spot on team Fnatic will begin with two open qualifiers on 27 and 29 November.
The top 16 players from each open qualifier will be seeded into four groups and advance to the group stages in December, where each group will play a best-of-three single round robin. Finally, the top two players from each group will advance to the final.
The ultimate winner will join the Fnatic Clash Royale roster and get the exciting opportunity to become a professional eSports player.
Chinese chain Wanyoo to open eSports cafes in UK
Chinese internet cafe chain Wanyoo is set to open stores in the UK for the first time, starting with an eSports studio based in London. While an official opening date for the studio has not yet been revealed, the Wanyoo UK website states that a UK cup will be taking place there on Tuesday 15 January. The studio is then set to be open on Charing Cross Road and available to use between 10am and 10pm every day.
Wanyoo was established in 1998 and currently has more than 1,100 stores around the world, located mostly in China and Shanghai especially. With stores in the US, Australia and Canada. Wanyoo mixes gaming spaces with leisure areas, allowing customers to relax, game or get some work done.
Fayette County schools to introduce eSports
A new form of sports competition is being introduced at Fayette County public schools. Several teams have already been formed at Fayette County and Sandy Creek high schools, though only 26 of the 130 students who expressed interest in the programme are able to currently participate due to the limited number of games available.
The eSports teams will consist of students spanning a mix of grade levels and genders, and Fayette coach Will Cannon said most of the students who participate “are not involved in any traditional sports.” eSports scholarships are currently offered at more than 200 colleges and universities.