This week in esports has been a mixed bag, but there has been plenty of big and surprising developments throughout. From IEM Katowice acting as the first Valve major of 2019 to OpTic Gaming entering the Latin American market, there’s a ton of stories for you to check out.
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IEM Katowice to return as first Valve Major of 2019
Almost legendary at this point, IEM Katowice is set to return once more for the 2019 season – and it has been awarded Major status by Valve, making it the first Major Counter-Strike: Global Offense tournament of the year.
There will be a prize pool of $1,000,000 (£756,040) up for grabs, with 24 teams from around the world fighting for their chance to claim their share of the cash. It all kicks off on February 14th and will last a total of three weeks from start to finish.
Read the full article here.
Blizzard pens Overwatch League broadcast deal with Disney
Blizzard has finalised and announced a broadcast deal with Disney that will see the Overwatch League find its way onto channels such as ESPN, ABC, and Disney XD.
This deal kicked off alongside the Overwatch League playoffs, and will include the grand finals at the end of the month. ABC will also be airing a recap show, and there may be demographic-driven packages in the future.
Read the full article here.
World Showdown of Esports – the main rival to IEM?
A new tournament series, created by ESP Gaming, has been announced – and it may be competition for the Intel Extreme Master series. The World Showdown of Esports is a fight card-inspired monthly event.
Richard Lewis, veteran esports journalist, analyst, and former full-time host for ELEAGUE has been brought on board as the Director of Talent for the interesting new venture. To celebrate the launch, a tournament called the PUBG Pan-Continental is set to take place on July 14-15th.
Read the full article here.
OpTic Gaming announces entry into Latin American market
Just a couple of months after entering the Indian market with a second Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team, OpTic Gaming has launched OpTic Mexico with the recruitment of a Mexican Gears of War roster.
The organisation hopes to launch a full base of operations in Mexico, much like it plans to do in India, to support its new team and international arm. This move is part of OpTic Gaming’s initiative to truly become a global force in the industry.
Read the full article here.