Aditya ChaudhuriESL Gaming, Ministry for the Economy, EU Funds and Lands through the GamingMalta Foundation signed an extension of their ESL Pro League partnership. The new agreement will run until 2024, which will see Season 20 of the ESL Pro League.
The extension of the partnership will see Malta join as a host location for the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) tournament, which has a US$850,000 total prize pool. The extension also will aim at growing the local esports ecosystem through various local tournaments and conferences.
Brian Krämer, General Manager, CS:GO at ESL Gaming, commented:
“We’ve been a proud partner of GamingMalta for the past two years of ESL Pro League and couldn’t be happier to finally be in Malta to host the upcoming seasons of our premier CS:GO league.
“Together with GamingMalta, we are not only offering the perfect environment for the best teams in the world, but we continue to underline our core principle of creating a world where everybody can become somebody through activations for aspiring CS:GO players in the region.“
Silvio Schembri – Minister of the Economy, European Funds and Lands for the Government of Malta, added:
“Our vision to position Malta as an esports hub is bearing fruit, and this continued partnership with ESL will continue to showcase Malta’s gaming ecosystem as the Home of Gaming Excellence, welcoming top esports athletes to our island for years to come.“
Ivan Filletti, CEO of the GamingMalta Foundation, stated:
“Growing the local esports ecosystem is a vital part of our strategic efforts to ensure that we build a strong esports structure. Our partnership with ESL ensures that not only do we host international ESL tournaments in Malta but builds on the zero-to-hero concept whereby local esports athletes participate in localised ESL events, thought leadership sessions, and a sustainable esports business environment.“
ESL Gaming and GamingMalta first partnered in 2020, with the focus on establishing Malta as an esports hub.
The 16th season of the ESL Pro League will kick off from August 31, 2022, and the 15 Louvre partner teams will fight it out for the final 12 spots in the Playoff Stage.
