Rns9 Feb 2018 07:04
Leading Nordic esports team to compete in third season of Elite Series
Nordavind, formerly BX3, becomes the latest franchise to join the third season of the esports tournament
Gfinity plc (AIM: GFIN), a leading international esports entertainment group, announces that Nordavind, a Norweigian esports team formed in partnership with one of Norway's biggest football teams, Vålerenga Fotball AS ("Vålerenga"), will join the third season of the Gfinity Elite Series taking place at the Gfinity Arena in London next month.
Founded in 2011, and previously known as BX3, Nordavind has quickly become one of the top teams in Norwegian esports and represents one of the largest esports investments in the region. The partnership between Vålerenga and successful Norwegian businessman Tor Olav Trøim from Magni Sports, the company that owns Vålerenga and an 80% stake in Nordavind, is believed to incorporate the best professional esports talent the Nordic region has to offer.
The directors of Gfinity believe that the introduction of Nordavind and the recently added Hashtag United and Ares teams to the Elite Series' third season is further testament of Gfinity's commitment to creating the best esports events in the UK by signing the strongest teams who will compete for their share of the £250,000 prize pool. As the Elite Series continues to evolve, the increase to 10 teams, all now signed up, will give Gfinity greater opportunity to deliver further growth in terms of reach and engagement with gamers around the world who watch each week via streaming platforms, social channels and linear TV.
Neville Upton, Chief Executive of Gfinity, said: "Nordavind will bring another huge boost to the Elite Series with their passionate fans from across the esports and regular football scene, alongside their own roster of top talent. With a little over a month to go, we couldn't be more focused. We have re-shaped the Elite Series, increased the number of teams and everything is in place for us to deliver the most competitive Elite Series to date."
Steffen Willumsen, Commercial Manager of Nordavind AS, said: "To reach the international stage is a goal we have been working hard towards for the last seven years, and therefore joining Gfinity's Elite Series is a real milestone for us. We have brought with us a talented team of people with different skill sets and competence and we very much look forward to getting underway on opening night."
Elite Series
The Gfinity Challenger Series, which gives the opportunity for players to compete for selection for the Elite Series, has had over 20,000 18-35-year-old gamers participate from 18 different countries. Season One of the Elite Series created 180 hours of live broadcast viewed by over three million people in more than 30 countries, with Elite Series Se