eSports roundup w/c 9th July

We’ve sourced some of the most exciting things happening in the eSports scene right now.

Preparing for the Overwatch League Playoffs


The Overwatch League Playoffs are set to kick off this week. After four stages of play during the inaugural season of the Overwatch League, the top six teams have made it to the playoffs, where they’ll compete for the coveted two spots in the Grand Finals at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on from 27-28 July.

McLaren Launches ‘Shadow Project’ eSports Series

British sports car manufacturer McLaren has launched an eSports series called Shadow Project, an expansion of last year’s World’s Fastest Gamer tournament.

The winner of Shadow Project will earn a spot on McLaren’s new eSports racing team, and potentially on the F1 team as a simulation driver as well, as was the case with WFG champion Rudy van Buren.

A key change this time is that the Shadow Project will be an inclusive approach to finding the world’s best simulation driver. Alongside traditional racing sim titles such as Forza Motorsport, the initiative will also involve more casual racing titles, such as Real Racing 3.

German sneaker and street wear chain partners with ESL

A German sneaker and street wear chain is looking to shape the ESL Players’ Lounges with its established urban style, while delivering limited edition goods. SNIPES has been in production for 20 years and received endorsements from the likes of Dennis Schroeder, Wiz Khalifa, and Snoop Dogg.

SNIPES will become ESL’s first official fashion retail supplier, taking part in a multi-event partnership that includes an exclusive co-branded clothing line.

“As opposed to most brands, for SNIPES, it’s not about tapping into new target groups since gaming fans already love street wear,” says Ismail Boulaghmal, marketing consultant for the SNIPES board. “For us, it’s about merging gaming and street wear and we dedicate ourselves to this great task with a long-term plan.”

The partnership will begin at ESL One Cologne this weekend, where SNIPES will have presenting rights for the Players’ Lounges. The first ever co-branded ESL clothing collection will be revealed at gamescom2018, with SNIPES to also have on-the-ground presence at the gaming trade fair. Further activations are planned for ESL One Hamburg.

UK eSports Awards announce finalists and hosts


The UK eSports Awards has revealed its full list of finalists for the inaugural awards on 7 July, and also announced the hosts who will be presenting the event.

The awards have picked up a number of notable sponsors leading up to the event, including the likes of Presteigne Broadcast Hire, AOC, G FUEL, Overclockers UK and noblechairs. ESL UK will host the event and streamer Nozzabox joins as a media partner alongside eSports Insider.

The awards event will take place at the ESL Studio 1 in Leicester on 7 July. The event itself is invite only but will be streamed live on Twitch from 6pm.