The business of sports tech, in brief.
The Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) has published a study on the ‘Expansion of Economic Effects and Tax Benefits of E-Sports Competitions’ in South Korea. Conducted last year and published today, the study aimed to highlight the economic impact of key esports events held in the country over the…
GENESIS X3 wrapped up earlier this month, giving the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate community a better idea of which competitors are currently playing at their peak. And many of the top players are currently from Japan. The UltRank is determined by player placement throughout the year, meaning…
The Australian Esports League has announced a partnership with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation to launch a student esports tournament. Known as the Victorian Virtual Grand Prix, students from Victorian schools will compete for a chance to win a trip to the Australian Grand Prix, the opening…
Ubisoft has announced that Rainbow Six Mobile will launch early in India, becoming the first country in the world to get access to the mobile version of the first-person shooter title. The rollout for Rainbow Six Mobile is set to begin at 7.30 PM IST (2 PM GMT) on February 19th. Announced via…
Swedish esports organisation Ninjas in Pyjamas has expanded into Tekken 8 esports with the signing of South Korean player Oh ‘Meo-IL‘ Dai-il. Meo-IL joins following a four-year stint representing South Korean organisation SOOPers in a range of Tekken 7 and Tekken 8 tournaments across the globe…
Chinese multinational conglomerate Tencent was reportedly the “undisclosed lead financial backer” of Highguard, the debut passion project of Wildlight Entertainment. This comes from a report by media outlet Game File, which claims to have received details surrounding the financial relationship…
Saudi Arabian esports organisation Twisted Minds has won the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) 2026 Pre-Season Bootcamp. Taking place at the WDG Studio Hongdae in Seoul, Twisted Minds beat Crazy Raccoon’s full-Korean line-up in the final with a convincing 4-1 record, taking home $15,000 out of the…
Tournament organiser BLAST and Ubisoft have extended its global partnership for the Rainbow Six Siege (R6) esports ecosystem until the end of the 2028/29 competitive season. Announced by BLAST earlier this weekend ahead of the 2026 Six Invitational Grand Final, the company also revealed the…
With the conclusion of the VCT 2026 Kickoff events across EMEA, Americas, Pacific and China, all 2026 VCT Stage 1 groups have been drawn. For the Stage 1 Group Stage, each region will divide its teams into two single-round robin groups, called Group Alpha and Group Omega. Each region’s group draw…
The top 12 teams set to compete at the first international VCT event of 2026, VALORANT Masters Santiago, have been decided. Taking place from February 28th to March 15th, the tournament will see three teams from each of the Americas, EMEA, China, and Pacific regions compete on the global stage for…
Carlos ‘Sonix‘ Perez is the GENESIS X3 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate champion after an intense Grand Finals with Salvatore ‘Zomba‘ DeSena. The Ultimate Top 8 just wrapped up at GENESIS X3, featuring the top players in the world from North America and Japan. In the end, it was a Sonic main that’s…
Ubisoft has revealed that China will become a new regional league for the Rainbow Six Siege esports circuit as CNL. The developers unveiled the new league with a one-minute announcement trailer posted online during the Six Invitational 2026. More details were shared by Rainbow Six Siege China’s…
Nongshim RedForce has become the second Ascension team to win a VCT Kickoff event after defeating RRQ in the 2026 Pacific Upper Finals. Following in the footsteps of America’s G2 Esports last year, the South Korean organisation won 3-2 in the Upper Final and will head to VALORANT Masters Santiago…
South Korean esports organisation DRX has revealed that the country’s Ministry of Education Award has been given to the DRX Esports Academy. According to the social media post, it marks the first time an esports team has received the award. The award was sealed on December 31st, 2025, and signed by…
South Korea has selected the esports coaches who will support its players competing in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Taking place from September 19th to October 4th in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture, the esports portion of the event sees a variety of participating nations compete across 11 titles…
The Japan Esports Union has announced that the country will not take part in the League of Legends event at the 2026 Asian Games to be held in Aichi and Nagoya. Japan will be sending esports representatives to seven competitions, confirming its absence in four tournaments. The exact reasoning…
Months after announcing Shanghai, China, as the host city for The International 2026, Valve has revealed the tournament’s venue, format, and schedule. The 15th edition of Dota 2’s crowning event will take place at the Oriental Sports Center, featuring 16 of the best teams from across the globe…
NOVA Esports has won the Honor of Kings Invitational Season 4 (KIS4) championship to kick off the mobile MOBA title’s global esports season. The Hong Kong-based esports organisation defeated South Korean side Nongshim RedForce 4-0 in the Grand Final over the weekend, taking home a lion’s share of…
Tekken 8 world champion Arslan ‘Arslan Ash‘ Siddique has announced that he will move to Japan, selecting the country as his new base for professional activities. The seven-time EVO champion has also formed a strategic partnership with Global Agency Co., Ltd, which looks to support him as he…
With the conclusion of VCT China Kickoff 2026, All Gamers, XLG Esports and EDward Gaming (EDG) have qualified for VALORANT Masters Santiago. From February 28th to March 15th, the Chinese representatives will face eight yet-to-be-determined teams from EMEA, Americas and Pacific at the first…
