Panel Industry Vote

Liquipedia

Liquipedia have reached incredible heights within esports coverage setting the bar for any other coverage website that tries to compete, this feat comes through from Liquipedia’s unquestionable and unparalleled levels of detailed information on the topic of esports. A comprehensive portal of information maintained by the esports community, Liquipedia has information on teams, players and tournaments from all works and levels of esports whether it is a smaller title or major title Liquipedia will have it covered. Liquipedia is not a traditional coverage website, Liquipedia break boundaries and is a historical website encompassing all legacies of those involved within esports. A basic website delivering simple information was transcended into the hub of esports knowledge through a collaboration between Liquipedia and the community has allowed Liquipedia to reach insane heights. Liquipedia are a worth finalist for the Esports Coverage Website of the Year 2019.

HLTV is the ultimate one-stop website for all Counter-Strike needs, HLTV cover Counter-Strike to a standard that can only be summarised as perfect. HLTV is a staple within the esports community known by all for their incredible work within Counter-Strike, HLTV brings the latest news, results, and articles on Counter-Strike. HLTV’s strength as a Counter-Strike coverage website is their attention to detail and incredible game knowledge which can be seen throughout their articles with the great attention to detail they deliver within every single article. HLTV comprise a list of the best CS:GO professional teams around the globe through a points system and it is used by many esports figures for reference due to the credibility HLTV has earned through their coverage. HLTV cover the game Counter-Strike without missing a single detail and this incredible devotion to one game has earned HLTV a rightful place as a finalist for the Esports Coverage Website of the Year.

The reigning back to back 2017, 2018 winner of the Esports Awards Coverage Website of the Year, ESPN Esports are back and are looking to be the first-ever 3-time Esports Award winner. ESPN Esports has continued to deliver incredible coverage on all things esports, with one of the most detailed esports calendars within their arsenal and engaging articles with comprehensive coverage on an array of all the best esports titles ESPN Esports is a powerhouse in this category. ESPN Esports’ quality derives from their perfect handpicking of their journalists many of their journalists have been finalists for the Esports Journalist of the Year such as Tyler ‘Fionnonfire’ Erzberger and Emily Rand with their very own Jacob Wolf winning the award in 2018. ESPN Esports is a worthy finalist for the Esports Coverage Website of the Year but do they get your vote?

Dexerto continues to deliver an immaculate website covered with articles, imagery and top-tier analysis of all things esports. Dexerto’s strength comes from their in-depth coverage of an array of esports titles including Call of Duty, CS:GO, Fornite, Overwatch, League of Legends and the new game on the block Apex Legends. Dexerto strives for greatness and this is seen as they are a far from average coverage website, Dexerto can also be seen as a hub for esports entertainment, Dexerto engages with the esports community with content such as top 10 lists, podcasts, and talk shows with special guests from the world of esports. Dexerto have truly earned their spot as a finalist for the Esports Coverage Website of the Year award but have they succeeded enough to secure your vote?

theScore has set a standard for building a connection between esports fans and the addictive esports content they desire, theScore have set a precedent with their mobile-first esports experience. theScore provides real-time news, scores, fantasy information and alerts all packaged within a mobile format that seamlessly transfers from computer to mobile and this effort has created a place within the hearts of esports fans from around the globe for theScore to sit within forever. theScore has become integral to any and all esports fan of all esports titles searching for results, statistics, and detailed articles. theScore took home the Coverage Website of the Year award in 2016 and are back looking towards 2019 positively and are a worthy finalist for this year’s Coverage Website of the Year award.

Dot Esports take pride through their delivery of engaging, thought-provoking articles and coverage on esports. Dot Esports is a specialist in leading the esports community into a debate whether it is on the serious pressing matters and often pressing important areas of esports or whether it is on light-hearted fun-based articles that sees fans of teams argue about which team is best. Dot Esports is a premier global destination for coverage of competitive gaming, unlike most coverage websites Dot Esports pride themselves with covering breaking news but following it up with high-quality in-depth analysis. Being a coverage website popular amongst esports fans of all calibers Dot Esports is a strong and worthy finalist for the Esports Coverage Website fo the Year award but have they done enough to earn your vote?

Inven Global is renowned as the gamer’s world, Inven Global is dedicated to bringing news, exclusive interviews, and a collection of global fan content. Inven Global has the word global within the name and this can be seen throughout the entirety of their content covering esports from all sides of the globe, Inven Global are the industry leaders within covering esports on such a broad global scale. Inven Global bring premier analysis to the coverage of all major esports titles with in-depth articles on the likes of Leauge of Legends, Overwatch and PUBG to name a few. Inven Global also enables esports fandom to rise with sections devoted to witty cartoons and cosplay. The CEO ‘Vito’ is an avid gamer and this can be seen through Inven Global’s commitment to the esports community bringing the latest from the world of esports. Inven Global’s incredible worldwide international coverage is why they are a worthy finalist for this year’s Coverage Website of the Year award.

Gosu Gamers founded back in 2002 is a veteran esports coverage website and have been with esports through the incredible evolution that has been seen with the growth within the industry. Gosu Gamers have been able to document all major changes over the years and hold a section of their website dedicated to the legacy of esports with historical articles about the previous major titles that paved the way for today’s esports titles to shine. Gosu Gamers is not simply an esports history coverage website as they have continued their incredible coverage to the modern world with a host of articles and breaking news on all major esports titles such as Dota 2m CS:GO, League of Legends, Overwatch and many more. Gosu Gamers have a pedigree as a coverage website and truly are a worthy finalist for the Esports Coverage Website of the Year but have they done quite enough to secure your vote?

VPEsports isn’t just about esports and gaming news. It’s about connecting you to a fascinating world where a gamer can watch their favorite esports players do battle or become almost anybody they choose to play the games they love. At VPEsports gaming is more than a hobby or entertainment, it’s an entire cultural movement. We are devoted to the global culture of esports and gaming. Through engaging writing, videos, relevant news, in-depth analysis, and more, VPEsports goes beyond the limits of the space with no topic being off-limits. VPEsports is the site that you will come to for the most up-to-date breaking esports and gaming news and everything in between.

The Esports Observer delivers incredible information in a hyper-simple format, they through away the excess unnecessary animations, graphics, and over-complicated design and swap it for a beautifully clean and straight forward website experience that is focused on delivering the best and most accurate esports news and articles. The Esports Observer strives to raise questions and always analyse further with articles dedicated to showcasing opinions on all things esports rather than take news at face-value The Esports Observer goes above and beyond to question anything and everything to deliver esports fans the best and most accurate news possible. The Esports Observer delivers articles and news daily, although they deliver a seriously high load of news and articles the quality never drops. The Esports Observer is a worth finalist for the Esports Coverage Website of the Year award 2019 but have the done quite enough to get your vote?

League of Legends

League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena developed by Riot games the publisher that won the Esports Publisher of the Year in 2017. League of Legends features a 5 versus 5 battle for dominance of the map by strategically taking down all of the opponents structures before targeting the nexus and winning the game. However, the stand out feature that makes League of Legends the game we see today is that over 100 million players every month log on to the game to compete for dominance. League of Legends is a game that is synonymous with esports as it smashes every record there is to break, League of Legends is a game that has transversed standard esports and their World Championship Series draws a closer comparison to the SuperBowl as in 2018 League of Legends for the first time ever was viewed more than the SuperBowl. League of Legends truly sets the standard within esports and is a strong contender for the Esports Game of the Year.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is an FPS with a strong strategic twist developed by publishing powerhouse VALVE, it is the fourth installment within the Counter-Strike franchise and is released on all major 2012 platforms but took to the mainstream with the PC platform. CS:GO is a game that has the power to draw millions from around the globe to play the game on a daily basis. CS:GO propelled further into esports then anyone could have imagined hosting international tournaments with millions of dollars in prize money to be won each year CS:GO goes from strength to strength and as the previous winner of the 2016 and 2017 Esports Game of the Year award it is a worthy contender for the award in 2019.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is an online tactical shooter video game published by Ubisoft. It was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on December 1, 2015. The game puts heavy emphasis on environmental destruction and cooperation between players. Each player assumes control of an attacker or a defender in different gameplay modes such as rescuing a hostage, defusing a bomb, and taking control of a capture point. players utilize many different operators from the Rainbow team. Different operators have different nationalities, weapons, and gadgets. The game features an asymmetrical structure whereby the teams are not always balanced in their ability choices. Rainbow Six Siege spotted the perfect opportunity to dive into esports as their game is a perfect fit for the esports structure offering fantastic competitive gameplay with a strong spectator aspect there is no question as to why Rainbow Six Siege has seen so much success.

The concept of the game is similar to previous games of the genre: 100 players skydive onto an island and scavenge for gear to defend themselves from other players. Players can fight alone (Solo), with one additional player (Duos), or with a group of up to three others (Squads). As the match progresses, the playable area within the island gradually constricts, giving the players less and less room to work with. The last player or team alive wins the match. The main distinction from others in the genre is the game’s construction elements, which can give advantages based on skill level and utilization. Battle Royale uses a seasonal approach with battle passes to introduce new character customization content in the game, as well as limited time events, some of which correspond with changes to the game map. Since its initial release, several other game modes have been introduced, including “Playground”, which somewhat serves as a training mode. What truly sets Fortnite apart from other esports is their numbers, Fortnite recently broke all prize pool records previously set with their Fortnite World Cup 2019 having a prize pool of $30million making mainstream news across the entire world as Fortnite took over New York City for the weekend. Fortnite is a global phenomenon that does not stop growing and is a serious contender for the Esports Game of the Year award.

Rocket League is a vehicular soccer video game developed and published by Psyonix. The game was first released for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4 in July 2015, with ports for Xbox One, macOS, Linux, and Nintendo Switch being released later on. Described as “soccer, but with rocket-powered cars”, Rocket League has up to four players assigned to each of the two teams, using rocket-powered vehicles to hit a ball into their opponent’s goal and score points over the course of a match. . The game earned a number of industry awards, and saw over six million sales and 40 million players by the beginning of 2018. Rocket League has also been adopted as an esport, with Psyonix hosting their own competitions through the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS). The RLCS features a league format for different regions across the globe all battling it out to take a spot in the RLCS World Championships, this is an international tournament that features millions of dollars in prize money and the only time a team can truly be crowned as the best in Rocket League.

Overwatch is a team-based multiplayer first-person shooter developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment a previous winner in 2018 of the Esports Publisher of the Year award. Overwatch was released on May 24, 2016, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. Described as a “hero shooter,” Overwatch assigns players into two teams of six, with each player selecting from a roster of over 30 characters, known as “heroes,” each with a unique style of play that is divided into three general roles that fit their purpose. Players on a team work together to secure and defend control points on a map or escort a payload across the map in a limited amount of time. Overwatch originally hosted their first ever esports event in July 2016 and this caused Overwatch to explode onto the scene picking up major traction and by 2018 January their official franchise league system was launched to great success. Overwatch’s incredible efforts within esports won them the Esports Game of the Year in 2018 but have they done enough in 2019 to earn your vote?

Dota 2 is played in matches between two teams of five players, with each team occupying and defending their own separate base on the map. Each of the ten players independently controls a powerful character, known as a “hero”, who all have unique abilities and differing styles of play. During a match, players collect experience points and items for their heroes to successfully defeat the opposing team’s heroes in player versus player combat. A team wins by being the first to destroy the other team’s “Ancient”, a large structure located within their base. Dota 2 really comes into its element with their competitive esports scene bringing teams from around the world competing to be crowned the best Dota team in the world. Dota 2 has held the record for the largest prize pool in esports each year beating their own record with their most recent TI8 reaching over $16m.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is a multiplayer first-person shooter developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on October 12, 2018. It is a sequel to the 2015 game Call of Duty: Black Ops III, the fifth entry in the Black Ops sub-series, and the 15th installment in the Call of Duty series overall. Black Ops 4’s multiplayer features the return of Specialists, unique soldier characters with special abilities and traits. At launch, the game features a total of ten Specialists, six of which (Ruin, Prophet, Battery, Seraph, Nomad, Firebreak) are returning characters from Black Ops III, while the other four (Recon, Ajax, Torque, Crash) are new additions. Unlike Black Ops III, the game allows only one unique Specialist per team, in order to emphasize the role of each character. Following launch, more Specialists are added to the roster, with unique weapons and equipment. Call of Duty took a true strategic and tactical turn with their new entrant Black Ops 4 allowing for teams to strategise and sync their operators together for optimal competitive play. This was seen within their Call of Duty World League which has gotten stronger and stronger each year and is a truly incredible spectator experience for esports fans around the globe to see their favourite teams battle it out for millions of dollars.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) is an online multiplayer battle royale game developed and published by PUBG Corporation. The game is based on previous mods that were created by Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene for other games. In the game, up to one hundred players parachute onto an island and scavenge for weapons and equipment to kill others while avoiding getting killed themselves. The available safe area of the game’s map decreases in size over time, directing surviving players into tighter areas to force encounters. The last player or team standing wins the round. Battlegrounds is one of the best-selling and most-played video games of all time, selling over fifty million copies worldwide by June 2018. PUBG used this incredible success and playerbase to launch their esports endeavours which has seen consistent tournaments with millions of dollars on offer for the best teams and players around the globe to compete for.

Street Fighter V is a fighting game developed by Capcom and Dimps and published by Capcom for the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows in 2016. Similar to the previous games in the Street Fighter series, Street Fighter V features a side-scrolling fighting gameplay system. The game also introduces the “V-Gauge”, which builds as the player receives attacks and adds three new skills. The game features 16 characters at launch, with four of them being new to the series. A story mode and additional characters were added through updates and downloadable content. Street Fighter V is one of the most popular fighting games of all time with over 2 and a half million copies sold worldwide. With incredible fluid gameplay and ability to keep evolving your own skill as new characters enter the game it is no wonder why Street Fighter V is a finalist for Esports Game of the Year. Street Fighter V has taken a true effort with creating an esports presence with their Capcom Cup touring the world finding the best players from every region with the goal of pooling them altogether and finding out who truly is the best Street Fighter player.

NVIDIA

NVIDIA and their GeForce GTX gaming-grade graphics cards are known by all gamers and esports fans as they are the provider of the optimal gaming performance and experience. Nvidia develops a wide range of graphics cards and chipsets ranging from the best of the best to mobile computing chips and even the automotive market. NVIDIA sponsors a wide range of esports teams and players however, they also are the official partner to many esports tournaments and provide the graphics cards for almost all esports tournaments across the globe. NVIDIA is a serious powerhouse within the hardware industry and offers great competition to the rest of the finalist as they took home the Esports Hardware Provider of the Year award from 2018 and look to make it a back to back sweep this year.

Logitech is not a company that will allow the market to move without them as they are focused on innovation and quality, Logitech a household name traditionally make basic PC peripherals however their range of gaming-grade peripherals have made Logitech take a grip on the esports industry and be taken as a serious gaming peripheral provider. Logitech creates some of the best peripherals on the market but also create lower level peripherals as they are a brand that is inclusive and is suitable for all levels of players whether they are new to gaming or a seasoned professional there is a Logitech peripheral for you. Logitech provides their peripherals to an impressive 12 esports organisations but most impressively these organisations are all top-level organisations and they famously have a partnership with giants in the industry Team SoloMid.

HyperX is the high-performance product division of Kingston Technology the worlds largest memory manufacturer. They provide high-performance gaming memory, SSD’s and even gaming peripherals proving that HyperX provide a wide range of top-level hardware. HyperX sponsors over 30 esports teams and have even historically provided gaming houses for teams, HyperX are a staple within the industry featuring products used within esports across the globe from computer components that run the gaming machines to the peripherals used to play the game HyperX are a fantastic hardware provider.

Intel is a technology company known for their industry-leading processors of which it is safe to say almost every gaming machine will have been powered by one of them at one stage. Intel caters for all levels of entry and budgets offering a wide range of performances from elite top tier performance to a gaming level to even the lowest of entry-level they power devices for industry giants such as Apple, Lenovo, and Dell. Previously Intel has won the Hardware Provider of the Year award back in 2017 but fell short to Nvidia last year but Intel is back with a vengeance and a deadly line of brand new CPU’s that are sure to make your gaming experience perfect but do they get your vote?

Asus is a global computer, phone hardware, an electronics company that manufactures products such as desktop, laptops, mobile phone, and monitors. Asus have varying levels of entry notoriously boasting their “ASUS ROG” range of top-level gaming hardware and peripherals and are a industry-leader in gaming monitors. ASUS has become synonymous with esports as they provide professional gaming level equipment for various esports organisations and different tournament organisers. Asus is a very strong contender for the Hardware Provider of the Year award as it is a company that strives for greatness and keeps going from strength to strength within their own product range as well as their esports endeavors.

Razer a brand founded in 2005 one of the pioneers of gaming peripherals and the company that really made the industry step up its peripheral provisions. The triple-headed snake of Razer is one of the most recognisable logos within global gaming and esports, Razer’s hardware is entirely premium with ultra-high-performance gaming peripherals and they even manufacture top-level gaming laptops but have furthered this by releasing a smartphone dedicated to providing the best gaming experience possible. Razer and esports go side by side as they provide peripherals for countless esports organisations across an array of games Razer will have each of their eyes on the Esports HardwareProvider of the Year award.

Founded in 1969 as a Silicon Valley start-up, the AMD journey began with dozens of employees focused on leading-edge semiconductor products. From those modest beginnings, AMD has grown into a global company of 10,000 people, achieving many important industry firsts along the way. AMD today develops high-performance computing and visualization products to solve some of the world’s toughest and most interesting challenges. Amd are a company that has impacted grass roots esports to a large degree, AMD have made gaming accessible for a cheaper lower budget beating out their competitors at price points whilst also producing products that are capable of competing with the best in the market.

Alienware is a subsidiary of Dell a fantastic general computer provider, the difference between Dell and Alienware is simple. Alienware provides the best gaming grade hardware possible, from peripherals to the machines themselves Alienware create greatness with their peripherals and are a bar setter and an industry leader that should be recognised by all for their fantastic work creating such great products. Alienware does not just provide amazing equipment they have also played a huge role in esports creating from Team Liquid’s 10,000 square foot training facility to being the official hardware provider for various esports tournament organisers. Alienware is a worthy finalist but do they get your vote?

MSI is a Taiwanese multinational information technology corporation headquartered in New Taipei City, Taiwan. It designs, develops and provides computer hardware, related products and services, including laptops, desktops, motherboards, graphics cards, All-in-One PCs, servers, industrial computers, PC peripherals, car infotainment products, etc. The company has been a sponsor for a number of eSports teams and is also the host of the international gaming event MSI Masters Gaming Arena (formerly known as MSI Beat IT). The earliest Beat IT tournament can be traced back to 2010, featuring Evil Geniuses winning the championship. The company’s slogan as seen in 2017 is “TRUE GAMING. SOME ARE PC, WE ARE GAMING.” The company partners with eSports heavyweights Fnatic and Cloud 9.It has also been a sponsor for a number of eSports teams worldwide, including PENTA Sports, Energy eSports,HWA Gaming, Flash Wolves, NXA-Ladies, Saigon Fantastic Five, MSI-Evolution, Vox Eminor,DeToNator, Team Infused, Aperture Gaming, Phoenix GaminG, etc.

SCUF Gaming does not do standard, simple or stock. SCUF are a global leader and innovator in high-performance gaming controllers and have taken the industry by storm changing the way in which a controller is used and even thought of. It is known that 90% of professional esports players choose SCUF as their controller provider and their dedication to creating only the best controllers is what got SCUF this far. SCUF sponsor an array of esports teams over 30 in total and partners with over 10 different esports events and league. SCUF won the Hardware Provider of the Year award in 2016 and have been nominated every single year since as they go from strength to strength is it time for SCUF to claim a second award for their trophy cabinet?

Secretlab is the leading brand within gaming chairs and is used across esports and gaming creating chairs that are top-level quality and comfort allowing the user to never feel uncomfortable for their entire gaming experience whether its a quick half an hour session or a 12-hour endurance gaming session a Secretlab chair will never let you down. This can be seen throughout their various sponsorships most notoriously their partnership with League of Legends sees Secretlab chairs being used by all of the League of Legends professionals on stage without a single issue. Secretlab is an explosive entry to this years Hardware Provider of the Year finalists but are a serious force to be reckoned with.

Astro Gaming creates headsets with incredible top-level audio quality and fantastic microphones to go with the headset creating a true “gaming” headset allowing for seamless communications with teammates and the perfect clarity to hear the tiniest of footsteps whilst you’re waiting patiently to know the location of the opposing team. Astro Gaming’s incredible mix amp allows for the customisable player experience allowing to specifically choose which sounds you would like to hear the loudest or quietest whatever your priority Astro Gaming has you covered. Astro provide some of the best headsets within gaming so it is no surprise that they are widely used within esports.

Antonio ‘Inyustificado’ Yuste

Antonio Yuste better known as Inyustificado is the director and host of Esportmaníacos, a daily gaming talk show about Esports, focus on League of Legends. With his team behind him they have grown to become a truly integral part of the LoL community in Spain.

Kevin Aiello, known as Kevo Esports, is an esports journalist that covers the esports latinamerican scene for Peek Studios and TNT Sports, along with a wide variety of games. He has a lot of interviews with players from different scenes and offers a point of view about the latinamerican reality of esports.

Thorin’s history in esports journalism stretches back to 2001, rooted primarily in the Quake series and Counter-Strike. Working for sites in Russia, Sweden, the USA and Germany over the last 12 years, Thorin specialises in lengthy historical articles and interviews. Over time he has expanded the focus of his work into other games, such as StarCraft: Brood War, StarCraft2 and now LoL. His entry point into following competitive League of Legends came in November of 2012, when he featured Snoopeh as the debut LoL episode in the Grilled series. Following the success of subsequent Grilled episodes with Doublelift and Saintvicious, both from IPL5, Thorin decided to increase his focus on LoL within the series. Thorin is a previous winner of the Esports Journalist of the Year award and is back looking to take his crown with his incredible in-depth wealth of knowledge with PC bases esports and his incredible ability to convey large amounts of information in a smooth form factor.

A freelance Journalist who currently writes for ESPN and Covers Korean League of Legends with incredible detail, translating korean to English allowing the western world to gain credible insight into a world of esports previous unaccessible. Ashley Kang also founded Korizon her own news platform for all things Korean League of Legends. Ashley Kang currently writes for ESPN as a freelance journalist offering amazing insight into the world of Korean League of Legends and she is looking strong for the Esports Journalist of the Year 2019.

Richard Lewis is a British esports journalist and livestream commentator from Wales. Having written technology articles for The Daily Dot Breitbart News and Cadred, he is best known as an award-winning esports journalist and as a former desk host of ELEAGUE. Richard Lewis is highly regarded within the esports community as he was one of the original journalists and offers incredible insight into a wide variety of topics and some hard hitting topics are handled with incredible care such as the Rick Fox and Echo Fox story.

Jacob Wolf has a stellar reputation for being one of the best investigative esports journalists in the world. Well versed in a multitude of different in esports from a plethora of genres, Jacob Wolf provides expert updates and analysis on the likes of League of Legends, Counter-Strike Global offensive and Super Smash Bros Melee. Working for the 2017 Esports Awards Esports Coverage Website of the Year ESPN Esports, Jacob Wolf has uncovered some of the largest scandals, transactions and moves in esports history. The youngest employee ever hired at ESPN, Jacob Wolf is a finalist for this year’s Esports Journalist of the Year.

Jarek “Dekay” Lewis is an esports journalist working for the esports news giants Dexerto full time, discussing pressing matters within CS:GO and delivering the latest and greatest news within the CS:GO scene. Dekay furthers his vast reach through his channels of social media with incredible video content via YouTube and great use of twitter Dekay can hit everyone with the latest news within CS:GO.

Dustin Steiner is a veteran esports journalist previously working under ‘Unikrn’ he has recently made a move to Dexerto as the US content lead and has been the mind behind the articles covered by Dexerto commanding the US journalist force within Dexerto a giant within esports news coverage. Dustin Steiner also holds a vast wealth of knowledge around esports producing incredible articles himself surrounding anything and everything esports and is truly a strong contender for this year’s Esports journalist of the Year award.

Fionnonfire is a full-time journalist working for the back-to-back winner of Esports Coverage Website of the Year, ESPN Esports. Fionnonfire specializes in professional League of Legends journalism producing stories involving teams, players and organisations from around the world. Fionnonfire does not just create articles with breaking news and tournament results he produces articles that dive deep below the surface offering a fantastic insight into the lives of the players and the relationships they have formed with each other whether it is rivalries or friendships Fionnonfire has it covered.

Emily Rand is a Journalist writing for ESPN Esports the back-to back winner of the Esports Coverage Website of the Year, Emily Rand writes about esports as a whole with a specifically incredible knowledge of the esports title League of Legends where she shines with incredible insight and captivating articles. Emily Rand also transcends as a journalist going on-screen front and centre delivering esports news to the world.

Riot Games

Riot Games the publisher that truly stepped esports up as they are the pioneers and original implementors of leagues within esports, the start of the “LCS” back in 2013 gave birth to a new breed of esports that was a completely new level for the scene. Riot Games got their hands on the Esports Publisher of the Year award back in 2017 and are looking to grasp this award once more. Riot Games are the publisher behind the phenomenon that is League of Legends the game that broke any record that stood in its way as it became the most played game on pc of all time. This success did not happen overnight it was the perfect maintenance that Riot Games performed with consistent patches that made the game better and better for both existing players and new players. Riot Games are a powerhouse publisher with only one game in their roster however, they are a serious contender for the Esports Publisher of the Year award for 2019 and should not be underestimated.

Valve is a veteran publisher within PC esports creating both Defence of the Ancients and the original Counter-Strike both of which are games that paved the way for today’s esports titles. Valve took home the first-ever Esports Publisher of the Year award all the way back in 2016 as they have two of the strongest esports games available with CS:GO and Dota 2 within their roster. Dota consistently breaks records for prize pools year on year with their infamous “The International” event that takes place each year meanwhile CS:GO sets records for viewership on their live broadcasts and both games when combined have over a million players logging on and playing every single day. Valve is a true esports publisher and a force to be reckoned with and a worthy finalist for the Esports Publisher of the Year award.

Epic Games have lived up to their name with their global gaming takeover as their game Fortnite have grown from strength to strength and has become so popular and widespread it is covered by all media outlets, not just esports outlets. Fortnite is the craze that was supposed to die off but never did it got bigger and better over the previous 12 months and Epic Games have taken a dive into the deep end with esports back when it was announced they would invest $100 million into prize pools the industry was sceptical. However, now they seriously have gone full force ahead with the Fortnite World Cup recently concluding with $30 million+ in prize pools up for grabs the game took over New York City and made people all over the world question just how far will esports go? Epic Games are groundbreaking boundary smashers that are a serious contender for the Esports Publisher of the Year 2019 award.

Ubisoft is a veteran publisher that has been publishing games for over 30 years and has gone from strength to strength as a game publisher and is undeniably one of the best. However, this is esports an industry that is not just games and Ubisoft can hear the community which is how Rainbow Six Siege was created. A game that exploded onto the scene without warning with a fantastic approach to the FPS strategy genre that saw great competitive gameplay as two teams of five battle it out on their beautifully designed maps to be crowned the best team in the world. Ubisoft has dived in at the deep end with esports seeing their latest invitational ‘The Six’ tournament feature a prize pool of 2 million dollars that was funded by both the huge community and Ubisoft. Ubisoft is an incredible and undeniably brilliant publisher and this has translated into their esports endeavor with Rainbow Six making them a force to be reckoned with for this year’s Esports Publisher of the Year award.

Blizzard is boasting the esports giant Overwatch as their incredibly strong esports title and after their league system being implemented to great success attracting incredible audiences around the world and the biggest organisations in esports Blizzard are a very strong publisher. However, this all changed when Activision and Blizzard merged to make a mega-publisher that holds the strongest title within console esports with Call of Duty a game that set the standards for console esports with sell out arenas all over the globe and an incredible league system that keeps the viewing experience fresh and incredible every time. Call of Duty is released per annum with a game that can be set in any time period with plenty of revisions and additions that keeps it fresh for players and that is why it is the powerhouse that we know and love. Blizzard got their hands on the Esports Publisher of the Year award last year in 2018 and have only gone from strength to strength with Activision and are a contender to be feared for this years awards.

EA Sports it’s in the game. The infamous words that make you instantly know you’re about to get the best sports simulation game the market has to offer and with EA producing both FIFA and Madden annually it is no surprise with both games attracting millions of players across the globe and having fantastic esports infrastructure EA have seriously got a strong standing within the industry. However, this year EA did something that would break the internet, the produced ‘Apex Legends’ the game that everyone knew the name of within hours and the same game that had 50 million players within the first week. This explosive game was not marketed or advertised it was spread by the community like wildfire and EA have seriously backed it as an esport creating infrastructure for tournaments to take place this year. EA hold the biggest titles in sports simulation games and have broken into the battle royale market with great force, they are a worthy finalist for this year’s Esports Publisher of the Year award but have they done enough for your vote?

Tencent is a Chinese multinational investment holding conglomerate founded in 1998, whose subsidiaries specialise in various Internet-related services and products, entertainment, artificial intelligence and technology both in China and globally.[3] Its twin-skyscrapers headquarters Tencent Seafront Towers (also known as Tencent Binhai Mansion) are based in Nanshan District, Shenzhen. In 2011, Tencent started hosting massively multiplayer online games such as Call of Duty Online, consisting of previous Call of Duty titles with added content, as well as the game League of Legends, which now it fully owns. Tencent also partly own battle royale games such as Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and fully own Ring of Elysium. Starting in 2016, Tencent developed a video gaming console dubbed TGP (Tencent Gaming Platform) Box. The TGP BOX is called the Blade. It is an Intel- powered console running Windows 10 and a TGP Box mode. So far, the TGP console has imported many Tencent games such as League of Legends, FIFA Online 3, NBA 2K, Monster Hunter, Need for Speed, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Tencent hopes to bring third-party developed games. On 22 November 2017, Tencent formally entered into a strategic co-operation with PUBG corporation and obtain exclusive rights to operate Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds in China.

Supercell is a mobile game developer based in Helsinki, Finland, with offices in San Francisco, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai. Since our launch in 2010, they’ve brought five games to the global market – Brawl Stars, Clash Royale, Boom Beach, Clash of Clans and Hay Day. With a goal to make the best games – games that are played by as many people as possible, enjoyed for years and remembered forever.

Capcom created the Street Fighter franchise all the way back in 1987. The jewel in the crown of the Fighting Game Community, Street Fighter V is the standard when it comes to a fighting game. Capcom has invested heavily in the esports ethos and the Capcom Pro Tour is the premier league destination for competitive fighting games. There have been many fighting games in recent times that have launched with much fanfare but could not display the staying power that the Street Fighter series has shown in abundance. Street Fighter V is one of the most accessible and exhilarating esports for any audience to spectate. Capcom is a finalist for the Esports Publisher of the Year for their undying devotion to exhibiting the best and brightest within the fighting game community.

PUBG Corp is the powerhouse publisher that are new to the scene but are here to stay, this is the publisher behind the battle royale benchmark PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds the battle royale title that instilled the genre as a household name and truly made battle royale esports a viable esport that is taken seriously. PUBG blew upon release on PC and has not budged ever since however, PUBG Corp did not become complacent and released a version of the game on mobile devices which has become a huge success within its own right having over 400million downloads and 50million active users. These numbers have translated into esports with PUBG Corp holding international tournaments for both their mobile game and their full game version on consoles and PC PUBG Corp have got a very successful multi-platform phenomenon that gives PUBG Corp serious standing within the industry.

Evolved Talent Agency

Evolved Talent Agency creates opportunities in esports, representing skilled esports players, prominent digital creators, and global brands. Evolved has negotiated more player deals than anyone on the planet, working hard on behalf of esports players to source and negotiate their professional opportunities. Evolved redefines the relationship hundreds of players from around the world have with their organizations in every major esports title, and serves as a strong global partner for brands seeking to engage with the esports industry. Evolved Talent Agency drives esports forward, and has proven themselves to be a true asset to any aspiring esports professional and brand – with no limit to the passion the global Evolved team puts into the work for their clients.

Code Red Esports is a full-service esports agency. The Code Red team have been working in the industry since 2002. With over 40 years’ combined experience, Code Red Esports has been involved in some of the biggest events of all time, such as Blizzcon, Quakecon, and The International. From running events from scratch to sourcing and hiring talent, to writing and broadcasting shows, as well as conducting all manner of strategic and marketing projects, they have seen and done it all. A finalist for the Esports Supporting Agency of the Year award will Code Red Esports taste success at the Esports Awards ceremony in November.

Hitmarker is the global leader in esports jobs. Founded in Newcastle upon Tyne, England in May 2017, it’s a recruitment service built specifically for the esports industry. Quite simply, companies sign up to Hitmarker to post esports job opportunities and candidates sign up to apply for them. Over 300,000 people have used the platform to advertise or search for esports jobs since November 2018, a period where there has been almost 10,000 available.

The Attorneys at ESG Law goes beyond the typical attorney-client relationship, ESG Law represents industry-leading esports teams, talent, and institutions. ESG Law’s clients compete on the world stage in every major esports title, cast and host the premiere and major esports events, stream to millions, and operate businesses that push the envelope of the esports industry in betting, content creation, brand representation, merchandising and more. ESG Law has invested in the future of esports by not being a basic service provider, but instead by engaging in the esports community. ESG Law is a finalist for the Esports Supporting Agency of the Year award for their unrivaled level of engagement within the industry and the fantastic work they have provided for their clients.

Loaded is an esports agency that strives for brilliance through connecting heroic influencers to heroic brands, Loaded are a specialist for connecting the biggest and best brands and publishers with the correct gaming talent for wildly creative, record-breaking promotions and endorsements across the video game industry. Gaming is more than just the games that are played and Loaded are proving exactly that. Loaded are an agency in a unique position, Loaded have the advantage of having the biggest influencers on the internet with last years Esports Streamer of the Year and Personality of the Year Ninja being one of their clients as well as Summit1g, Lirik, Shroud and TimTheTatman who have all also been nominated for the Esports Streamer of the Year award at some point in their careers and their client base goes on further with the biggest influencers within gaming. Loaded is an absolute powerhouse with their unrivaled level of influencers in their client base and are a truly worthy nominee for the Esports Supporting Agency of the Year 2019.

The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) is a non-profit membership association organised by and on behalf of member institutions. The members of NACE are developing the structure and tools needed to advance collegiate esports in the varsity space. NACE has laid the much-needed groundwork in areas such as Eligibility, Path to Graduation, and Competition & Scholarships. NACE is the only association of varsity esports programs at colleges and universities across the U.S. NACE have enabled gamers to make the leap from grassroots as an amateur player with potential to the main stage with their college programs enabling the much needed development to turn players of a game into future esports stars. For their undying dedication to esports infrastructure, the National Association of Collegiate Esports is more than deserving of being a finalist for the Esports Supporting Agency of the Year award.

Freaks 4U Gaming is a gaming-focused marketing agency that provides marketing and public relations solutions to customers on a global scale with a headquarters in Berlin, Germany and an Asian brand office in Taipei, Taiwan enabling Freaks 4U to have a hub in both Western and Eastern esports enabling their global strategy to take place. Freaks 4U offers a creative strategy consultation service for branding, unique marketing, and sales campaigns, individual services to realise campaigns, productions, and events, and provide in-depth knowledge about the esports industry furthermore they offer insightful market research for all levels of customers. With over 10 years of experience and one of the strongest portfolios within esports, Freaks 4U gaming is a worthy finalist for the Esports Supporting Agency of the Year award. We are a gaming and esports-focused 360° marketing and communications agency, providing services for brands, players, teams, tournament organizers and influencers. We create esports stories and develop opportunities.

Character Select Agency (CSA) is a gaming, esports, and pop culture talent management agency. Character Select Agency has taken a strong unique approach to talent management within esports focusing primarily on the industry side of esports taking a focus on-camera hosts, announcers, and broadcast commentary talent. This focus on the industry has given Character Select Agency a lot of strength within esports holding some of the top casting talents within esports in their roster. Character Select has worked incredibly well with their talent and has provided for many events being an integral part of creating the broadcast and enabling it to have the perfect broadcasting talent for the occasion.