Esports & Video Games
EXCLUSIVE: THE FUTURE OF ESPORTS WITH VIKTOR WANLI, KINGUIN CEO
With esports emerging as both a major force in the global economy and catalyst for social change, we thought it would be a good time to talk about the future with someone who’s at the leading edge of the industry, Founder and CEO of Kinguin, Viktor Wanli.
You’ve clearly invested a lot in your Polish esports centre. What has the reception been like so far?
Kinguin’s vision is to boost the regional ecosystem by establishing cutting-edge arenas and training centers that provide world-class facilities for international esports teams to train and prepare for competition.
Renegades, a professional Counter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team, were the first team to reap the benefits of training at the Esports Performance Center. After holding a bootcamp at the EPC prior to IEM Katowice, they went on to reach the quarterfinals finishing 5-8th overall, a first in their organization’s history.
Since then we had some of the world’s best esports teams visiting the EPC, including the International 2018 DOTA2 Champions OG RedBull, BIG and Vitality from the Counter-Strike scene.
EPC also has become the permanent base for top Polish team devils.one and its League of Legends and Fortnite divisions.
With esports growing so rapidly, we frequently hear that while there’s no shortage of playing talent, esports business skills are in short supply. Is this the reason for the Kinguin Education programs?
It’s one of the main reasons. Teachers in normal schools aren’t tech savvy enough for the digital age and facilities are lacking for everything from developing your personal brand to graphic design. The world is moving much faster than schools can keep up with.
We thought it would be great to have specialised courses for everyone from children to young adults. These include courses on 3D design, animation, programming, plus logical thinking and collaborative communication online.
There is a lot of industry now that isn’t in the traditional commercial world, things are changing rapidly, and we want to prepare the next generation for their working lives. Plus, gaming is a great motivator to get kids interested in education.
Where do you see esports in five years?
Esports has changed drastically in the last five years, so it’s exciting to imagine where it will be five years from today.
I believe bridging the gap between the online world and the offline world through physical gaming spaces are shaping the future of esports. I imagine a comeback of the gaming cafe where high-end gaming equipment is made accessible to the average gamer.
In fact, Kinguin is focusing its efforts on opening Esports Arenas where gamers can interact with each other in a physical environment while having access to top-of-the-line PCs.
Do you see any disruptive tech trends impacting esports over the next few years? VR for example?
Disruptive tech like VR, AR, and mixed reality bring the audience closer to the action and offer exciting interactive experiences. Immersive visuals for broadcast will only make the level of viewer engagement skyrocket as brands push the envelope in the creative digital space.
Gamers are definitely interested in merging the real world with the gaming world, so I envision disruptive tech trends gaining momentum as they shape esports and traditional sports.
How do you feel about betting in esports?
Esports is gaining mainstream popularity and it’s naturally going to catch the attention of betting operators. As long as esports betting is done in a properly regulated way then it’s something to support.
The commercial side of esports is obviously growing rapidly, but do you think there’s enough investment in grassroots esports, at the entry level?
Kinguin is focused on keeping grassroots esports alive by combining our online marketplace with offline initiatives like the Esports Performance Center, esports lounges, and a comprehensive esports curriculum and education programs. We believe these initiatives will develop the next generation of gamers, and make professional gaming accessible to everyone.
There’s no escaping it, games like CS:GO and Fortnite created entertainment based on killing people, do you feel there is the potential for esports to normalise violence, or do you feel that by transferring combat and aggression into a digital arena where no one actually gets hurt, it has the potential to reduce real-world aggression and violence?
There are long-standing beliefs about the link between video game violence and human aggression, but new studies are proving these claims to be false.
The University of Oxford actually released a comprehensive study this year that found no relationship between aggressive behavior in teenagers and the amount of time spent playing video games with violent elements. The study is one of the most definitive to date, using both subjective and objective data to measure teen aggression and violence in games.
We’ve been hearing a lot of talk about equality issues in esports recently. How do you see things – should there be more of an effort to get girls involved in esports, or do you think it’s a non-issue?
Although esports has often been labelled as a male-dominated industry, women are one of the fastest growing demographics in gameplay, viewership and buying power. Esports will never reach its full potential if we ignore the vital influence women have on gaming.
There’s certainly some things to think about there, and it’s a huge ‘thank you’ to Viktor for taking time from his busy schedule to chat with us.
To find out more about how Team Kinguin is shaping the future of esports check out the official site at https://teamkinguin.com/
And, don’t forget if you’re feeling like playing something new, head on over to the Kinguin video games marketplace.
Exclusive interview content © Pentagon Digital Limited, all rights reserved.
Danish esports organisation Team Singularity has extended its partnership with Swiss fan engagement platform Blocksport.
The multi-year agreement will see the launch of the $SNG Fan Token, giving holders access to unique opportunities to influence team-related decisions, enter the fast-track at SNG Academy, access exclusive content, train with professional esports athletes and more.
$SNG Fan Tokens are expected to launch in December 2021 with a supply of 3M, and will be priced at €1 each in the initial sale.
Commenting on the news, Atle S. Stehouwer, CEO and Founder of Team Singularity, said: “I am happy that our partnership with Blocksport is officially extended and we can finally announce the next step in our collaboration.”
Vladimir Liulka, CEO and Co-Founder of Blocksport, added: “We are happy to extend our exclusive partnership with Team Singularity and launch $SNG Fan Token for their fans. Singularity has a global and awesome fan community. The Token opens up a new world – an environment in which they have the chance to be very close to their favorites players and team”.
Team Singularity currently fields rosters in CS:GO, Fortnite, Rocket League, League of Legends, FIFA, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six, VALORANT, Free Fire, Teamfight Tactics, Hearthstone, Quake, League of Legends Wild Rift, Call of Duty, Call of Duty Mobile, Call of Duty Warzone, PUBG, PUBG Mobile, DOTA 2, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, Battalion 1944, H1Z1, Tekken7, Rogue Company, Brawlhalla, and Clash Royale. In addition to Blocksport, the organisation has commercial partnerships with PWC, Pluck GG, Raven, SCUF, KontrolFreek, Randers FC, Esportal, Challengermode, MYESPORTSCARD, and MYFUTCARD.
Staying with esports and Blocksport.io, just yesterday we reported the platform had partnered with Jordanian sim motorsports organisation Desert Fox Racing.
ReKTGlobal, the digital entertainment and esports organization, has been named one of the official presenters of gaming content at the 2021 Infinity Festival.
On 3 November, superstar gaming creators Ally Battaggia (a.k.a TheGeekEntry) and Gabby Murray will join Stove’s Kitchen and Paul Shaw in a panel exploring the content creator economy. In addition, ReKTGlobal CCO Kevin Knocke will share his unique expertise in a panel on esports.
Battaggia, who has a growing following across social media, took on streaming during lockdown, joining the fan-favorite NoPIxel GTA RP server. Since then, she’s become a mainstay participant, even crafting a NFT/TCG collection from her beloved GTA RP character. With 9.6M social media followers, Murray has built a fanbase as a multi-talented lifestyle and gaming content creator, with a Discord community that is expanding by the day.
Top gaming creator Stove’s Kitchen (whose real name is Steven Cho), part of the Team RAR (Rare and Ridiculous) internet group, has a devout fan following on his YouTube channel, where he posts gaming and challenge videos. Meanwhile, Shaw oversees Special Projects at TalentX Entertainment, a subsidiary of ReKTGlobal. The four will join forces for Making a Living as a Content Creator: Much More Than Gaming — a panel that explores what sets livestream content monetization and strategy apart from pre-produced content.
Also on 3 November, Knocke will take part in an esports panel with Darin Kwilinski, Lead Content Producer at IGN Entertainment, and Amanda Solomon, CEO at Tyrus Talent Management. The panel, Esports or Esports? Does It Matter? will break down misconceptions about esports to separate the hype from actual substance.
Knocke, who has been competitively gaming since he was a kid, has years of involvement with high profile companies and events in the esports business – specifically Blizzard Entertainment, IGN, SiriusXM, Sony, South by Southwest, E3, PAX, and Ubisoft — giving him a broad perspective on the industry. Before joining IGN, Kwilinski, a lifelong gamer, was a senior editor for esports at ESPN, establishing its vision and voice. Solomon is an executive with a well of expertise in the strategic sales and partnerships realm, specializing in esports, gaming, and talent.
Now in its exciting fourth year, the forward-focused Infinity Festival is the place where Hollywood meets Silicon Valley. The multi-day annual event, held in Los Angeles, brings together Hollywood’s finest storytelling talent with the innovative creators of cutting-edge technology. For 2021, Infinity Festival will blend in-person and virtual events for a unique hybrid experience.
The in-person portion will be held in several adjacent Hollywood locations with most events happening at Goya Studios and the Dream Hotel; the online component will be presented through the easy-to-use FNvirtual event platform. The festival will continue its theme of “Story Enabled by Technology” with an entirely new slate of innovative programming, including industry-leading speakers, panel discussions, an exhibition hall, innovation labs, and a fine art gallery, each with an emerging-tech focus.
For tickets and additional information, visit infinityfestival.com.
Luxury carmaker Lexus is returning to support the Esports Awards for a third year running
As Official Auto Partner of the awards, the company will be working with the Esports Awards on a number of activations that incorporate their vehicles. Lexus will also sponsor both the Esports Organisation of the Year and Streamer of the Year awards.
Lexus made its esports debut with the Esports Awards in 2019, when it provided several supercars from blockbuster movies, which took centre stage at the Esports Stadium Arlington. Last year, the carmaker collaborated on exclusive content as part of the highly successful virtual ceremony.
“It’s an honour to be able to welcome Lexus as a partner for the third year in a row. After supporting us through a successful virtual ceremony last year, it speaks volumes that Lexus has once again committed to going all-in and driving the esports ecosystem forward. Both of our brands focus on prestige and excellence, and I look forward to showcases our joint values as we return to a physical event in November,” said Michael Ashford, Managing Director, Esports Awards.
Jordanian esports organisation Desert Fox Racing has joined Swiss gamified fan engagement platform Blocksport.io.
The partnership will see the launch of an exclusive Desert Fox Racing mobile app to help boost the growth of the organisation’s Middle East fan community.
Desert Fox was launched by a group of friends with a passion for sim racing, but has quickly grown into a digital racing community backed by an organised club. It has now managed over 100 races and 4 championships, making it one of the Middle East’s most experienced digital motorsport solutions providers.
Regarding the collaboration, Vladimir Liulka, Blocksport’s Co-Founder and CEO, said: “We are delighted to have signed with Desert Fox Racing as we see this Esports organization with big potential and as one of the innovative and forward-thinking esports organizations in the Middle East region. Welcome on board, guys!”
Mamdouh Younis, CEO of Desert Fox Racing, added: “We are very excited to start this next chapter with our Desert Fox Racing Community and to utilize such a professional fan engagement solutions provider as Blocksport”
Staying with Blocksport, last month, the platform announced a partnership with betting brand Mozzart.
Riot Games has announced a new competitive circuit for Teamfight Tactics, the team-building PvP strategy game, entitled Teamfight Tactics Rising Legends: Gizmos and Gadgets.
Taking place from November 2021 to March 2022, and operated by GGTech Entertainment, players from the EMEA region will fight it out for a share of a €43,000 prize pool.
Based on the new Gizmos and Gadgets Set, the competition will allow players to earn points and qualify for the EMEA Finals through Ranked matches in-game or Golden Spatula Cups. Furthermore, local tournaments will be hosted, culminating in the TFT Rising Legends Superbrawl, a regional nation-based event. Throughout the whole circuit, 32 players will be advancing to the regional Finals.
- Golden Spatula Cups: three Cups will be hosted in December, January, and March. Players will be able to qualify through Ranked play or by participating in the corresponding Open Qualifiers
- Rising Legends Superbrawl: an 8-region tournament consisting of 2 players representing each region, fighting for two slots in the EMEA Finals
- Rising Legends EMEA Finals: the best players in the EMEA region will meet in this event, where players will fight for one for the four spots at the TFT World Championship
All the TFT action will be covered in English on the official Twitch channel: twitch.tv/teamfighttactics
More information on the tournament, broadcast, and how to participate will be published on the official tournament website: risinglegends.gg
US-based gaming lifestyle brand XSET has partnered with Monster Mash for a Halloween NFT collaboration.
The partnership will see several XSET players feature as creatures on Monster Mash, which is home to 10,000 randomly generated monsters drawn by artist Vance Kelly. Each of the XSET branded digital ghouls is made up of over 400 traits and will haunt the Ethereum blockchain for eternity.
“Monster Mash has been making a lot of noise in the NFT space, who doesn’t like Monsters right?” said Greg Selkoe, co-founder and CEO of XSET. “So we decided to make this XSET’s first NFT collab. We know that the fans of both brands are going to be excited to collect these super-rare pieces.”
“I think it’s really exciting to be working with XSET to add another integral layer to the Monster Mash brand with the inclusion of XSET’s players as some of the Monsters themselves. It widens our Monster universe and brings it into today’s cultural world,” says Hugo Stevenson, founder and CEO of Road Crates, Inc.
Owners of Monster NFTs are able to access the metaverse members-only world of MM Express, featuring a creative community platform for building new monsters for future air drops, live, in-person events, killer merchandise, and much more. Each unique NFT is stored as ERC-721 tokens on the Ethereum Blockchain and hosted on IPFS, and can be purchased for 0.08 ETH + gas fees.
According to XSET, the branded monster NFTs are just the first of a number of upcoming initiatives, with more details to be announced in the near future.
Staying with XSET, earlier this month, the brand announced the beta launch of StreamJ, a new digital rights management (DRM) and license-free music platform specifically designed for gaming streamers and creators.
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