Tech brand Infinix is now the official smartphone partner of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), providing the esports scene with gaming smartphones and fan initiatives.

As of February 28th, Infinix has kicked off its partnership with MOONTON Games, sponsoring pro tournaments across Southeast Asia this season.

This includes the MLBB Professional League (MPL) in Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines, as well as the MLBB Development League (MDL) in Indonesia and MLBB Super League (MSL) in Myanmar.

“We are thrilled to be part of the top-tier MLBB tournaments in Southeast Asia,” said Infinix CEO Tony Zhao. “Esports serves as a bridge that connects and inspires the next generation of players.”

A big component of the Infinix sponsorship is providing its GT series gaming smartphones to pro players. The Infinix GT 20 Pro will now be the official tournament device for the first stage of 2025’s competitions followed by the GT30 Pro when it comes out later in the year.

The sponsorship goes beyond device support, with Infinix also helping to build the MLBB community with online and offline activations. This includes fan club tournaments, community booths, meet-and-greets with the pro players and giveaways.

MOONTON Games Head of Regional Esports Sales Adrian Cher, added: “Infinix has democratised gaming by making cutting-edge gaming accessible to the next generation of mobile gamers. This aligns perfectly with our vision to elevate the mobile gaming and esports ecosystem through innovation and competitive excellence.”

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has undergone significant developments in the last few months, including its highly anticipated launch in China and subsequent esports league. The likes of NAVI and Twisted Minds have also announced their entry into the MLBB esports ecosystem.

Bookmaker EstrelaBet has secured a significant partnership with Brazilian esports organisation Vivo Keyd Stars.

As a result of the deal, EstrelaBet’s logo will be displayed on the front of the team’s esports jerseys. Moreover, the bookmaker will invest in Vivo Keyd Stars’ infrastructure, content and training capabilities.

Founded in 2010, Vivo Keyd Stars has competed in a variety of esports titles within the Brazilian esports ecosystem. Currently, the organisation has a roster in League of Legends’ LTA South and has previously held rosters in VALORANT and Counter-Strike 2. 

In its recent LTA South campaign the organisation finished 7th-8th following defeats to Leviatan and LOUD. Outside of League of Legends, the organisation has divisions in Honor of Kings and Rainbow Six Siege. 

Vivo Keyd Stars’ ability to have EstrelaBet as a partner in League of Legends — an ecosystem that has previously been against such deals — is due to a change in Riot Games policy that was revealed in December 2024.  The change in stance allows partnered esports teams to have betting sponsorships within its League of Legends ecosystem. 

EstrelaBet is a fully licenced betting operator within Brazil, having secured full licence rights earlier this year. Earlier this month, the company also announced that EstrelaBet has become a member of the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).

Outside of EstrelaBet, the esports organisation’s other partners include Volt Sport and Havit. 
Via Games Magazine Brazil, Hugo Tristão, CEO of Vivo Keyd Stars, noted: “We are very happy to resume our partnership with EstrelaBet, a company that has technology and gaming in its DNA. This support will be essential to boost the team’s performance and further strengthen our connection with the gaming community, which is the true soul of esports.”

FIFAe, the esports division of global football governing body FIFA, is looking for esports companies to help develop technologies for football esports and gaming.

Specifically, FIFAe is looking for companies in the industry to help develop technologies that can track the biometric data of esports athletes and translate it into live graphics for broadcasts.

This is not the first time that FIFAe has looked to utilise biometric technology for its esports broadcasts. Service provider Mix Effect Media has previously worked with the company to create a graphic that displays players’ heartbeats during FIFAe events, such as the 2023 finals. 

FIFAe’s new ‘innovation challenge’ will, therefore. focus on expanding this offering. As such developing technologies to measure biometrics such as eye movement, brain waves and reaction time have been mentioned by FIFAe. 

Interested companies can apply for the change via Inside FIFA’s website. Moreover, the esports division has noted that solutions and proposals from companies must be fully self-funded.

According to FIFAe, developing a new type of technology for FIFA esports events will help ‘enrich the viewer’s overall experience’ by showcasing how much pressure can be created in high-performance situations for an esports player. 

Moreover, the challenge aims to enhance the broadcast and viewing experiences of its football esports events, which FIFAe notes is goal three of FIFA’s Strategic Objectives of the Global Game 2023-2027.

Following its split from EA, the football governing body’s esports division has expanded into various games such as Football Manager, eFootball and Rocket League. This included hosting its FIFAe World Cup 2024 event in Rocket League last December. 

In November 2024, FIFA and game developer Mythical Games also unveiled FIFA Rivals, a new mobile football game set to come out later this year. Launching on Mythical’s platform, FIFA Rivals will be an arcade-style game that allows its players to build a football club.

Riot Games has announced UVS Games as its official publishing and distribution partner for Project K, the company’s upcoming League of Legends trading card game (TCG).

The game is set to launch this year across many English-speaking countries, with additional global regions planned for 2026.

Project K was first announced in December last year. Set in the world of League of Legends, the physical TCG will be separate from the developer’s digital card offering, Legends of Runeterra.

Moreover, last year’s announcement included a release date for China in early 2025 after partnering with a local publisher. According to the latest press release, Riot Games is still looking to adjust the final game name, card design and mechanics based on player feedback.

“We can’t wait to show you more of what we’ve been working on. Keep an eye out for updates throughout the year as we gear up for the global rollout of Project K!“

With UVS Games, Project K has secured a partner that has helped develop and publish tabletop games for more than 17 years. UVS’s flagship property is UniVersus, a multi-IP fighting card game first released in 2006 under the moniker Universal Fighting System.

In addition, the company has worked with games producer Wise Wizard Games for the Star Trek: Star Realms game as well as with popular tabletop content creation team Critical Role.

Upon launch, Project K will join a long list of League of Legends spinoffs. Since its release in 2009, the game has grown into one of the most significant franchises within the gaming and esports industry, leading to the creation of adjacent titles, such as auto battler Teamfight Tactics (TFT) and story-driven game Song of Nunu.

With Arcane, an animated series produced in collaboration with Netflix, LoL has also achieved mainstream recognition outside the gaming community.

Razer has officially launched the Razer Viper V3 Pro Faker Edition, the latest gaming mouse in collaboration with League of Legends player and esports legend Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-Hyeok.

The mouse features a crimson body and a decal that recalls Faker’s nickname, the Unkillable Demon King. It is currently available for purchase for £179.99 (€189.99 for EU buyers).

According to Razer’s website, the first 500 customers to purchase the Razer Viper V3 Pro Faker Edition, from February 20th, will receive a matching Faker-themed mouse mat.

Following his victory at last year’s League of Legends World Championship, Razer has created a special edition mouse to celebrate Faker’s legacy. With five world championships and 10 LCK titles, Faker has been often regarded as the greatest of all time in the esports space.

The gaming hardware brand has been a long-standing partner for the Korean professional player, as he has been part of the Razer family since 2015. Faker was known for using Razer’s DeathAdder V3 Pro, which has also launched two special Faker editions.

Faker’s use of the DeathAdder changed last year when he switched over to the Razer Viper V3 Pro, which, according to Razer, is equipped with the Focus Pro 35K Optical Sensor Gen-2 for maximum precision.

Earlier last week, Faker and Razer announced a live stream for its 10-year partnership at the company’s Singapore HQ, which will take place on February 25th.

The Korean player’s popularity and achievements have allowed him to become a great ambassador for sponsors. Earlier last year, he partnered up with eyewear brand Stealer and launched a special edition Secretlab chair with streetwear designer VANDYTHEPINK.

As an endemic brand in the esports and gaming space, Faker is not the only one who collaborates with Razer. In 2024, the company announced partnerships with Movistar KOI (previously MAD Lions KOI), TALON Esports, as well as esports players such as Zachary ‘zekken’ Patrone in VALORANT.

Evil Geniuses (EG) has partnered with decentralised cloud infrastructure provider Theta Labs to launch an interactive chatbot of its mascot, Meesh.

Through an AI chatbot agent, EG fans will be able to interact with Meesh to keep up with the esports organisation and its community.

The Meesh chatbot is set to go live in late March during VCT Americas Stage 1, VALORANT’s regional tier-one league, where EG owns a franchising spot. The mascot will be available every day around the clock on the organisation’s website and Discord server.

According to the organisation, the project aims to provide information on match schedules, team standings, player stats and more.

The personalised interactions will also enable fans to provide community feedback and participate in exclusive giveaways and community events. These features are possible through Theta’s EdgeCloud technology, a hybrid cloud-edge AI computing platform created in 2024.

AI and blockchain technology have been on the rise within the esports industry in recent years, with several stakeholders entering AI-focused partnerships. Moreover, gaming peripherals brand Razer revealed an AI esports coaching project at the tech trade show CES 2025 in January.

“EG has been a pioneer in utilising AI to redefine the esports industry, shared Chris DeAppolonio, CEO of Evil Geniuses. “After building multiple AI tools to help our teams scout talent and win championships, it made sense to see how AI can better enable us to engage with our fans.

“Our partnership with Theta Labs will give our fans the chance to interact with our new mascot on a level we hadn’t imagined.”

North American esports organisation EG was founded in 1999 and has since competed in various titles, such as Counter-Strike, Dota 2, League of Legends and Rocket League. Last year, the EG returned to its original logo as part of a rebranding activation for its 25th anniversary.

Among the organisation’s biggest competitive achievements is the VALORANT Champions trophy in 2023. Although the EG’s roster did not qualify for Masters Bangkok, the first international VALORANT event of this year, the squad will return with the Americas Stage 1 kick-off.

Williams Esports has set up four sim racing rigs available for fans to use at The O2 Arena’s ‘Virgin Media Gamepad’ in London.

According to Williams Racing’s esports division, the rigs will provide professional racers and newcomers with the opportunity to experience F1 racing free of charge all week.

The initiative coincides with the upcoming F1 75 Live season launch event, taking place today from  8pm GMT at The O2 Arena. For this year’s season kick-off, Formula 1 has invited all 10 teams to unveil their new car liveries in front of a live audience.

Compared to other esports disciplines, especially mobile titles, sim racing has a relatively high entry barrier due to the required specialised gaming equipment. In recent years, however, several stakeholders have made attempts to increase its accessibility, launching more sim racing opportunities.

Similarly, some stakeholders are promoting the inclusion of disabled and neurodiverse drivers, such as UK racing team Quartermass Motorsport with its Para Racers Academy.

With the eyes of many F1 fans on The O2 Arena, providing racing rigs to all launch event attendees could be an opportunity for Williams Esports to promote sim racing to racing and esports communities.

Its parent company, Williams Racing, has been a driving force in the sim racing world after becoming the first F1 team to establish its own esports team in 2018. Since then, the organisation has created a content creator ambassador programme as well as a Student Racing League.

Last year, Williams Esports also recorded major competitive successes. The team ended the 2024 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series at the top of the team and individual driver leaderboards, with Williams driver Parker White becoming the Season champion.

Popular magazine Ring Magazine has announced its first-ever boxing event in collaboration with FATAL FURY developer SNK Games.

Taking place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on April 26th, the FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves boxing event will feature a middleweight fight between rivals Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn.

Ring Magazine has been covering boxing news since 1922. Its first event will be hosted in association with UK-based sporting event promotions company Matchroom and UK promotions company Boxxer.

Meanwhile, iconic fighting game franchise FALTAL FURY is set to return with its new title on April 24th, 26 years after its latest instalment. The new game, also called FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, can be pre-ordered starting April 21st. Ring Magazine will award pre-order owners with priority access to tickets to the boxing event.

The upcoming boxing event is not the only FATAL FURY news to be released ahead of the franchise’s return. In early February, the game announced its inclusion in the Esports World Cup.

The second iteration of the Saudi Arabian government-backed esports festival will feature competitions in various esports titles, including fellow fighting game Street Fighter 6.

The press release on Ring Magazine’s social media account also announced a clash between heavyweights Anthony Yarde and Lyndon Arthur. Former world champion Liam Smith will take on unbeaten rising talent Aaron McKenna, while fellow world champion in the cruiserweight class Chris Billam-Smith will face Brandon Glanton.

Finally, another cruiserweight fight will be held between undefeated Viddal Riley and Cheavon Clarke.

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF), the company behind the Esports World Cup (EWC), has announced a strategic partnership with Tencent E-Sports.

The partnership, announced at the Empower Esports Worldwide Series — The Esports Operation and Technology Session in Shenzhen, China, will see the two collaborate to strengthen the EWC’s reach in China.

Additionally, to further promote the competition’s visibility, both entities will establish the EWC China Development Team to enhance engagement and help connect Chinese esports with the global ecosystem.

With one of the largest populations in the world and noted competitive esports experience across several game titles such as Riot Games’ VALORANT and League of Legends, China counts 490m esports users, according to an industry report by the Electronic Sports Committee of China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association (ESC).

In 2024, the Chinese esports industry generated 27.57bn RMB (~£2.97 bn) in revenues, with a large share coming from esports content live streaming.

Established back in 2016, Tencent E-Sports is a brand and event operator that has hosted tournaments in over 90 countries and regions. Following the recognition of esports as an official event at the latest Hangzhou Asian Games, Tencent E-sports launched the Empower Esports Worldwide Series with the goal of reuniting global industry partners and promoting cultural exchange and long-term cooperation. After Saudi Arabia, the subsequent events are to be held in France, Japan, and China.

“The Esports World Cup has created a global stage for competitive gaming, demonstrating its influence not only in China but across the world,” commented Mars Hou, Vice President of Tencent Games and General Manager of Tencent E-sports.

“Through this partnership, we are committed to elevating EWC’s presence in China and integrating our esports industry with the world’s largest competitive gaming event. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with EWCF to push esports forward on a global scale.”

Chinese game publisher MOONTON has announced its partner list for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Pro League (MLBBPL), the new MLBB competition in China.

In addition to smartphone brand Realme, MOONTON will also add Chinese telecommunication brand China Unicom, condom brand Durex, and Chinese bank China Minsheng Bank to its portfolio of partners. In addition, KARNOX will be the official gaming chair brand of the tournament. Financial terms of these deals were not disclosed.

Realme has been heavily investing in the mobile esports space as of late, recently signing a partnership with Krafton India as the official smartphone partner for PUGB Mobile competitions. The company is a subsidiary of consumer electronics manufacturer Oppo.

Condom brand Durex, on the other hand, is a long-time esports sponsor. It previously signed partnership deals in 2023 with League of Legends game publisher Riot Games for the LPL as well as global events such as MSI and Worlds. Additionally, the brand was also seen as a sponsor during CS2 Shanghai Major in December 2024 and previously sponsored a small Rocket League tournament back in 2021.

After reaching over 600 million downloads worldwide, 2025 marks the first year MLBB enters the Chinese market, competing with its greatest mobile competitor, Honor of Kings.

Both games have been confirmed as returning game titles for the Saudi Arabian Esports World Cup (EWC), which will take place later this summer in Riyadh.

Earlier last month, Chinese esports organisation Invictus Gaming (IG) announced its entry into the MLBB ecosystem as a partner team, gaining access to revenues from the game publisher. IG will compete with the likes of Rare Atom, Nova Esports, and DFYG in the China Professional Invitational 2025: Stage 1.

The winners of the competition will qualify for the Mobile Masters MLBB Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia, later this April.