From sponsorships to industry-wide announcements, Insider Sport has you covered when it comes to the world of esports.
This week’s edition highlights the latest developments in the esports sector, including the museum at the Silverstone circuit unveiling a sim racing suite, with plans to host a variety of events.
Silverstone Museum launches sim racing suite
The museum at the Silverstone circuit, the home of the F1 British Grand Prix, has unveiled a sim racing suite and plans to host a variety of events.
The sim suite, which is sponsored by Radical Motorsport can be hired for private events, parties and corporate bookings, and is available for public use as of March 29th.
Digital-Motorsports, sponsors the simulation rigs, which can be used by guests, allowing them to get behind the wheel of a car of their choosing and race around the Silverstone track, competing against other sim suites from around the world in the process.
As part of its launch, the museum has also announced a competition. The competition will see drivers attempting to set the fastest lap, running from 29 March to 14 April. In addition, drivers who book the racing simulator experience will have the chance to win two hospitality tickets to the Radical Cup at Silverstone on 27 and 28 July.
Matthew Phillips, Head of Retail and Commercial Experiences at Silverstone Museum, commented: “We are delighted to open our Sim Suite At Silverstone, the new attraction is an outstanding addition to the exceptional visitor experience at the Museum.
“The Sim Suite At Silverstone is an arena for future esports tournaments, with plans to host professional private and external competitions and tournaments.”
Teamfight Tactics and League of Legends join Esports World Cup
Riot Games, the game developer and esports tournament organiser, has announced that Teamfight Tactics and League of Legends will join the Esports World Cup this summer in Saudi Arabia.
Although the titles will compete in the Saudi government-backed event, it will not be an official LoL Esports event and Riot Games will not be involved in its production and will not be selecting participating teams.
One reason for the involvement of the titles is financial trouble, which has swept the industry over the past few years. Riot Games acknowledged this, explaining that it did not want to block any teams/organisations from making money at the event.
Additionally, Riot Games also revealed that Arabic localisation will be included in League of Legends, adding that new servers in the Middle East for the company’s games will be launched in 2024.
With the addition of these two games, the event will now feature over 20 different games, ensuring that there is a wide variety that appeals to all esports fans.
In an announcement, Riot Games said: “The EWC offers not only the chance to compete on an international stage but also the ability to earn a piece of a meaningful prize pool, which helps enhance financial stability.
“The community has been asking for more international play, and this event is part of a broader strategy to allow for additional high-impact tournaments to the esports calendar.”
First-ever CS2 Major records strong start with 1.8m viewers
The PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, the first CS2 Major in history, has recorded an increase in overall viewership compared to the Blast.tv Paris Major 2023, the final CS:GO Major.
Comparing the event with the last Major, the Blast.tv Paris Major, this new edition saw a notable increase in viewership. Looking at the stats, the PGL Major Copenhagen had 1.85m peak viewers and 552,000 average viewers, compared to last Major’s 1.53m peak viewers and 507,000 average viewers, according to the data platform Esports Charts.
These figures mean that the event is now the third-most watched Major in Counter-Strike history, behind two other PGL-produced events, the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 (2.7m) and PGL Major Antwerp 2022 (2.1m).
In terms of the teams, PGL Major winners NAVI were the most popular team in regards to viewership, with around 15.3m hours watched compared to FaZe’s 13m.
Looking at the viewer statistics, Esports Charts shared data that shows that English language broadcasts decreased from 63% at the Paris Major to around 40% for the Copenhagen Major.
Highlighting that other languages increased during this Major, with Ukrainian, Turkish and Romanian languages all reporting record-breaking viewership.
ESL FACEIT Group unveils $170,000 FACEIT Overwatch 2 League
Esports tournament organiser ESL FACEIT Group has announced a new Overwatch 2 open circuit boasting a $170,000 prize pool.
The league, named the FACEIT League, will offer qualification to the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this summer.
FACEIT League will run through numerous seven-week seasons each year and will include competitions in North America, EMEA, Oceania and South America, with divisions split into three.
These divisions will all feature a ‘Master: Road to Esports World Cup’ division as well as ‘Expert’ and ‘Open’ leagues. EMEA and North America will also include an ‘Advanced’ tier between Open and Expert, with both only playable via an invitation based on players’ elo ratings.
The league’s Regular Season 1 will be held between 29 April and 9 June and will be followed by playoffs for qualifying teams from 10-23 June, allowing teams to compete for a portion of its $170,000 pool.
Additionally, playoff placements can also grant teams promotion to higher divisions as well as a spot in the Esports World Cup this summer.
Warren Leigh, Senior Vice President of Product, Digital Platforms at EFG, commented: “The response from Overwatch players on FACEIT has exceeded our expectations and illustrates the need for the robust, sustainable structure that we’re building with FACEIT League.
“With over 50 seasons of Counter-Strike experience building some of the most successful grassroots esports ecosystems, having the opportunity to support the Overwatch community with a bespoke program is incredibly exciting.”
