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This week in esports

British Esports Association aims to recruit young talent with new tournament

Getting more kids into professional gaming.
Rich Edmonds and Richard Devine

British Esports Championships

It has been a fairly quiet week in the world of esports as we lose ourselves in the blistering summer heat. This week did see the announcement of a new college and school league in the UK, which will focus on 12-19-year-olds and League of Legends. Also, the F1 annual tournament kicked off with a shortlist of talented individuals representing nine teams.

British Esports launches LoL college league

British Esports Association announced a new tournament for schools and colleges called the British Esports Championships. The only game covered by this school-focused tournament so far is League of Legends. Marcus Kingwell, Managing Director of AoC Sport, commented on the announcement:

The British Esports Association and Twitch Student program share a belief in the ability of students to grasp the entrepreneurial spirit inherent in gaming and esports, while applying their education in new and innovative ways. The combination of passion and education can only lead to more opportunities for themselves and this exciting industry. We are proud to work with the British Esports Association on helping students realise their potential through the practical experience this program creates.

The tournament will allow those between the ages of 12 and 19 to participate in up to three games for their represented college or school. It's yet another program for those who show skill in the early years of educational development to be withdrawn and trained as professional gamers.

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Formula 1 esports drivers named

F1 Esports

The organizers of F1 2018 has released the names of all the drivers who made it to the next stage in this year's esports tournament. Representing a whole host of countries, including the UK, Turkey, Finland, and Germany, A total of nine teams were represented on the circuit on July 9 in London. It was quite the event with F1 Chairman and CEO, Chase Carey expected to be there in person, alongside drivers Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen.

Participating teams include Haas F1 Esports Team, Red Bull Racing, Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport, Hype Energy eForce India F1 Esports Team, Williams Esports, McLaren Shadow, and Toro Rosso Esports Team.

Making the drop

PUBG

PUBG Corp. announced the finalist teams for the PUBG Invitational tournament, which is set to be held in Berlin on July 25. With $2 million up for grabs, it's going to be an intense show, pitting the best of the community against one another, representing teams from around the world. The full list of teams and regions competing at the invitational are as follows:

  • Asia
    • Refund Gaming.
    • Made In Thailand.
    • AHQ Esports Club.
  • CIS
    • Natus Vincere.
    • Avangar Gaming.
  • China
    • 4AM.
    • OMG.
  • Europe
    • Team Liquid.
    • Welcome to South Gerogo.
    • Pittsburg Knights.
  • Japan
    • Crest Gaming Xanadu.
    • Crest Gaming Windfall.
  • Korea
    • Gen.G Gold.
    • Gen.G Black.
  • MENA
    • Oyun Hizmetleri.
  • North America
    • Team Gates.
    • Ghost Gaming.
    • Honey Badger Nation.
  • Oceania
    • Chiefs Esports Club.
  • South America
    • Savage Esports.

Gearing up for Halo

MLG saw Halo and Gears at New Orleans this weekend for a combined esports event, the first in almost a decade. Halo and Gears teams from around the world competed for $500,000 in cash prizes (split between the two games).

Vegas, baby!

Vegas

It had to happen eventually, right? Following successful pushes in esports such as the H1Z1 Pro League and the Esports Arena at the Luxor, Las Vegas casinos are apparently getting ready to jump on the esports bandwagon.

Well, it's better than Craps.

Upcoming live events

  • League of Legends Championship (LCS) - July 20 (EU), July 21 (EU, US), and July 22 (US), watch on Twitch