ESL FACEIT Group - EFG

DreamHack Dallas 🇺🇸 Day 1: Everything gaming under one roof kicked off the weekend with esports, cosplay, creator-led activities, table top, special guests, panels, workshops, the coolest IRL loot stores and hey, of course….gaming, gaming, and more gaming. ☑ DreamHack celebrated the past, present, and future of esports with an exclusive media summit at DreamHack Dallas. Featuring EFG’s Shahin Zarrabi (VP Festivals), Michał Blicharz (VP of Product Development), and Charlie Sirc (Product Manager, ESL Impact), as well as guests from Intel Corporation, Blizzard Entertainment, and the Dallas Sports Commission, the summit unpacked DreamHack's local legacy, celebrated the 100th IEM event, and discussed the importance of representation in gaming. ☑ Competition kicked off across all of DreamHack’s esports events, with a cumulative $1.2 million in prize money up for grabs across 14 competitions throughout the weekend. ☑ Team Vitality swept HEROIC to open the quarterfinals Friday with a 13-8 win on Nuke and 13-2 victory on Dust II. On the other side of the bracket, FaZe Clan and G2 Esports squared off, with Jake "Stewie2K" Yip returning from retirement on his home soil to help send G2 Esports to the semis. ☑ ESL Impact Season 5 Global Finals's Day 1 brought several closely contested matches, with Imperial and Let Her Cook advancing to Sunday’s semifinals. ☑ The first-ever OWCS LAN event got underway Friday with a double-elimination bracket competition between eight of the world’s best squads. Spacestation, Team Falcons, Toronto Defiant, and Crazy Racoon all advanced to the upper-bracket semifinals with wins on Friday. ☑ DreamHack hosted its first-ever drag show with “Drag & Drop: A Cosplay & Gaming Drag Show” taking over the Main Stage late afternoon. Performers dolled up in gaming and nerd culture-inspired outfits to sing, dance, and strut in front of a full crowd. ☑ Last-Chance Qualifiers for the Magic: The Gathering U.S. Regional Championship wrapped up, with the final competitors locking in spots for the $130,000 competition. Bring on Day 2. #dreamhack #esl #gaming #esports #dallas #texas #intel #overwatch #blizzard

EFG Opens Broadcast Hub in Saudi Arabia to Support Continued Growth of Middle East Esports Community   The Riyadh Broadcast Hub Will Provide Arabic Broadcasts for Global Esports Events, Including This Week’s Overwatch Champions Series Dallas Major The move marks EFG’s expansion of its regional footprint into one of the youngest and fastest-growing gaming communities in the world, with the vision of making the experience of global premier esports events more accessible to Middle Eastern audiences. That journey will begin with an Arabic broadcast of the first-ever OWCS international LAN event, which is taking place at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center this weekend during the international gaming festival DreamHack Dallas. Homegrown casting and production talent will support the Arabic version of the tournament, including local Saudi Arabian staff. “Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest-growing esports markets in the world with a thriving gaming fanbase, and the national initiatives like Vision 2030 showcase the country’s desire to fuel not only local gaming growth but contribute to the industry’s international success,” said Franck Guignery, SVP, Middle East and Africa, ESL FACEIT Group. “We are thrilled to bring our premier esports programming to the region and to help its passionate players, fans, and creators build deeper connections with the global community of their favorite brands and titles, and most importantly, with each other.” The live broadcast will be available in Arabic on ESL Arabia Twitch, and YouTube channels. For those unable to tune in live, all matches will also be available to watch on-demand for free via YouTube. https://lnkd.in/eY-fRZaj #Esports #GamingCommunity #Overwatch #Riyadh #EsportsBroadcast #TwistedMinds #DreamHackDallas #OWCS #ESLArabia

👀 What are your plans for this weekend? #DHDallas

What did you always want to learn but never took the time to master? 🔎 Whether you’re interested in acquiring more knowledge of the cosplay community, getting hands-on experience with live streaming, gaining a deeper understanding of online etiquette in gaming communities, or learning the ins and outs of how to build financial success in gaming – with the panels and workshops at DreamHack Dallas there is always something new to take in or become more proficient in 🎓 #DHDallas #DreamHack #gaming #esports #WorldsBeyondGameplay

🎧 The latest episode of the German Podcast Im Spielekeller features Simon Eicher, Director of Game Ecosystems Mobile at ESL FACEIT Group 🙌 Listen to the podcast hosts Dennis Gehlen and Christopher Hana talking to Simon Eicher who's sharing amazing insights about mobile esports, the Snapdragon Pro Series - the world's largest multi-title mobile esports league, delivered by Qualcomm and EFG - as well as stories about his impressive career and his early years at ESL! Almost 19 years ago, Simon significantly contributed to the development of esports. During the talk, he answers questions like: 👉 What did the esports ecosystem look like in the early 2000s? 👉 How did the first real esports broadcasts emerge in Germany? 👉 How did the global mobile esports scene develop over the past few years? 👉 How is the current generational change affecting this? 👉 What are the differences between traditional esports and mobile esports? 🎙️Tune in now and be inspired by Simon's journey and knowledge: https://lnkd.in/eWEy3xWC (in German language) #Podcast #Esports #MobileEsports #GamingIndustry #ImSpielekeller #ESLFACEITGroup #GamingCommunity

The State of Esports events: Join Jascha Braeker, Host City Partnerships and Hospitality Manager, this week on a panel at the Esports Travel Summit in Raleigh, NC 🇺🇸 as she discusses the evolution of esports events and the role host cities can play in welcoming global gaming communities. From the professional ranks to the grassroots, esports events are still evolving. Economic pressures have posed recent challenges for parts of the esports events industry and provided new opportunities as growth remains steady at the collegiate and amateur levels. In this opening discussion, hear from experts across the industry on how they view the in-person events landscape, the challenges and opportunities ahead for event organizers and destinations wanting to host events, and what the future holds for an industry that remains filled with potential. https://lnkd.in/gHrvehBU

Are you on team “Let’s try something new!” or on team “Nothing beats the classics!”? Well, you better get ready for both with the Indie Playground and Arcade Machines at DreamHack Dallas! 👉 At our largest Indie Playground yet, you have the opportunity to discover new amazing games, exchange tips and tricks about developing indie games, connect with fellow gamers, and celebrate the creative work that pushes the industry forward. 👉 The arcade cabinet area is also a perfect place for those seeking quality entertainment with friends and family! With flashing lights, sound effects, and fast-paced action, the more than 30 free-to-play arcade machines provide an immersive and electrifying experience and are, therefore, one of the must-visit activities at the festival. #DHDallas #DreamHack #gaming #esports #WorldsBeyondGameplay

Our Q1 2024 Game Changers were just announced!🏆 At EFG, we integrate our core values of Serving Our Community, Being Bold, Building Trust, and Giving a $#1T into all that we do. And each quarter we take a moment to recognize those “Game Changers” that have been nominated by their peers and selected by our executive leadership team. Please join us in congratulating 👏🏽 all five recipients, including our eMVP, who embodies all four of our values: ◼️ Milan Banerjee – Serve the Community ◼️ Elizaveta Kolesnichenko – Be Bold ◼️ Mary Louise Bolt – Build Trust ◼️ Andrea Aloi – Give a $#1T ◼️ Kimberly Cristalli, MFA – Our eMVP Check out these incredible five below and send them some love in the comments. 👇 #ESLFACEITGroup #awards #recognition #esports #gaming

💫 We are thrilled to announce that ESL FACEIT Group has partnered with Porsche for the first-ever Overwatch® Championship Series (OWCS) Major at DreamHack Dallas! 🏎️🎮 📅 Event Dates: May 31 - June 2, 2024 📍 Location: Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas, USA This groundbreaking collaboration marks Porsche's first major partnership with an esports tournament operator and expands their engagement with the Overwatch 2 community. Highlights: 👉 Porsche Cars North America will showcase the new all-electric Macan at the event. 👉 The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the OWCS Major will be awarded by Porsche and celebrated at the new all-electric Macan display. 👉 Fans will have the opportunity to meet the MVP, take photos, and get signatures. 👉 Exclusive content and activities linked to Porsche's new all-electric Macan, which inspired Overwatch's latest Legendary skin for D.Va. Jasmin Haasbach, VP of Global Brand Partnerships at ESL FACEIT Group, shared, “Porsche's history of innovation and groundbreaking design are uniquely aligned with the Overwatch community’s passionate and tech-savvy fans. We’re excited to bring these two celebrated brands together at DreamHack Dallas.” Ayesha Coker, VP of Marketing for Porsche Cars North America, added, “OWCS and festivals like DreamHack offer new avenues to inspire the gaming community and reach the next generation of drivers, showcasing incredible new cars, like the new all-electric Macan, at the same time.” DreamHack Dallas is one of North America’s biggest gaming festivals, featuring meet-and-greets with creators and celebrities, cosplay competitions, an indie gaming showcase, and more. This year’s three-day celebration of gaming culture will build off the success of the DreamHack Dallas 2023, which saw a record-setting 44,000 attendees, the most ever for a DreamHack festival in North America. #DreamHackDallas #OWCSMajor #Porsche #ESLFACEITGroup #Gaming #Esports #Overwatch #Innovation #ElectricVehicles #GamingFestival #NextGenDrivers Porsche Cars North America Blizzard Entertainment DreamHack

ESL FACEIT Group is headed out to Cannes Lions this year and we are looking forward to showcasing all the exciting developments in the world of gaming and esports. From award winning partnerships to new event formats, fresh digital products and as always, a hyper engaged Gen Z audience connected across our portfolio. If you are going to be in town between the 17th and 21st of June, drop me a message so we can find a time to catch up. #CannesLions2024 #CannesLions #FestivalofCreativity #Gaming #Esports