The magic of an event

Creating an esports event goes much beyond the action on camera. Gamers are passionate and dedicated to the discipline they love; therefore, an esports event (especially such an important one — a Dota 2 Major, and the last one this year) deals with emotions, feelings, and fun. Highlights, pictures, and celebrations will be forever remembered by the whole esports community. When the live broadcast ends, the event will remain in VODs, threads, and comparisons, where the key factors of success of this event will be dissected, analyzed, and remain in history.

The esports industry is still expanding and setting new standards in a dynamic way. Each new tournament raises the bar higher, thus creating an endless circle of hype and excitement. Therefore, being a part of this circle means reaching new audiences, connecting with them, and being remembered by them. It’s not only endemic brands that participate in this process, given the possibilities esports can open through a well-made event.

A nice and comfortable place to stay and sleep is a vital asset to keep this atmosphere. The hotel chosen for the teams, staff, and partners was Encore Ramada Kyiv. Encore Ramada Kyiv has all the facilities and utilities for a comfortable stay. Choose Ramada for your next trip to Kyiv — located only 15 minutes from the airport and the city center!

“The Encore Ramada Kyiv hotel is part of the international hotel chain Wyndham. Together with the WePlay Holding team and GetInPro representatives, we have done a lot to ensure the best possible living conditions, safety, and technical support for the bootcamp during the tournament,” commented Natalia Rogovska, front office manager, and Maryna Petrova, sales representative, from Encore Ramada Kyiv.

Another feature that adds exclusivity and uniqueness to any event is merchandise, created especially for WePlay AniMajor by FragStore. The history of WePlay AniMajor was written right before our eyes, and you have the opportunity to be part of this legend! T-shirts, hoodies, and many other different collectibles await you in the limited-edition WePlay AniMajor collection!

“WePlay AniMajor was one of the most significant events for FS Holding in 2021. We were faced with a difficult, almost impossible mission — to produce merch for WePlay Holding dedicated to one of the main events for all fans of Dota 2 and esports in general in the shortest possible timeframe. We handled it and gave the fans the opportunity to remember and touch one of the top Majors of all time,” says Vladyslav Guz, marketing&communications lead, FS Holding.

Tailor-made production

At WePlay Holding, each tournament is handcrafted to fit a certain theme and with attention to detail in every single aspect of the tournament. From the commentators to the stage decoration, everything had a special something. For instance, each team getting up on the stage had a special intro video made for them in the event theme. This has two important effects: first, the audience will remember their favorite games forever — the event will become deeply embedded in the popular imagination. Second, each of the brands supporting the event got special treatment to make the public associate it with such an elaborately planned tournament with ease. They not only got exposure, but also a calculated and personalized brand activation. We’re sending viewers a positive message in an epic, legendary way.

When the sponsors are introduced to potential customers in such a way, it becomes clear that without those brands, it would be impossible to deliver the emotions they felt during the event. The partners are part of it, helping to create and deliver this magic; therefore, in the audience’s consciousness, a brand is associated with making an incredible esports event happen: without the event partners, there is no way this tailor-made tournament would have materialized. Therefore, the sponsors are given the same importance as the staff, the talent crew, and the teams themselves.

The event was powered by INNO3D video cards, which made the gameplay that we saw perfectly smooth and detailed. INNO3D video cards have it all — an impressive design, a silent cooling system, and the highest performance. Brutal by Nature!

“WePlay AniMajor is really a huge event this year. For us at INNO3D, a gaming video card manufacturer, it is especially important to support such events. Our collaboration with WePlay AniMajor confirms that INNO3D’s series 30 of GeForce™ RTX™ graphic cards are ready for the toughest esports battles, ensuring stable operation, high performance, and state-of-the-art technology to achieve the highest results,” INNO3D RU/CIS

The event is being praised on social media for its attention to detail, beautiful effects, vibrant broadcasts, AR effects, and great atmosphere.

GetInPro’s goal is to help those who want to build their careers in professional esports and competitive gaming, as well as build an international network of esports arenas that will be open to all people interested in the world of esports.

Commenting on the specifics of WePlay AniMajor, Alexander Udalyi, CEO of GetInPro, noted: “The coolest feature was definitely the ramen/noodle stand, with the analysts manning the counter. This place enhanced the immersive effect alongside 3D and AR features — it was as if you were discussing match results with old friends in a bar.”

Another partner was Secretlab, famous for the high quality of its gaming chairs. Dominate your lane with the same pro-grade comfort that powered your favorite teams at WePlay AniMajor!

“WePlay Holding has chosen top performance seating in Secretlab, also used at the pinnacle Dota 2 tournament, The International. With creative production unique to WePlay Holding combined with the chair of choice for top esports tournaments, the partnership delivered the highest quality event experience for both fans and players.”, says Grace Yong, senior associate, global partnerships at Secretlab.

We also want to thank Asus Republic of Gamers for being a partner and helping to create the magic of WePlay AniMajor!

Esports and COVID-19

In times when the COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the world as we knew it, esports needed to adapt and evolve. That’s why WePlay Holding followed guidelines and did not allow media or public presence — the company took every precaution necessary to conduct the event without any incidents while managing media relations and facilitating contact. The staff, the players, and everyone who had access to the gaming arena have tested negative.

While rather unpopular, these measures were expected and strictly followed by the company, who made everything in their power to make sure the event wouldn’t be missing any stars (even chartering private airplanes for the Chinese ones) while assuring safety.

This is a case in point in the debate on how esports can have a positive impact on its viewers. By leading by example, we are showing our commitment to our community, the players, and our partners. This could only be possible due to the help of Callab.

Callab is a laboratory that tested the staff, crew, and the stars for COVID-19 to help everyone remain safe and WePlay AniMajor to happen at its full power!

Myroslava, Callab service manager: “When conducting WePlay AniMajor, WePlay Holding ensured maximum safety to prevent the emergence and spread of COVID-19. All practicable measures and conditions have been implemented:

1. Face mask requirement
2. A sufficient supply of sanitizers in the tournament venues
3. Regular temperature and general health screening of participants
4. Regular testing for all tournament participants
5. Disinfection and cool misting of premises
6. Regular room cleaning, treatment with disinfectant solution, and airing
7. Use of air recirculating units
8. Treating all surfaces in common rooms with disinfectant
9. Ensuring maximum isolation for teams (separate transfers, meal schedules, isolation from external contacts)
10. Social distancing
11. Restrictions on external social contacts for all tournament participants
12. Paramedics on standby throughout the tournament
13. 24/7 medical care.”

Parimatch’s head of esports Stepan Shulga also appreciated how important it is to be a part of an event in such challenging times and how unique are the events made by WePlay Holding.

“Our goals align with those of WePlay Holding in that we both love a high-quality product good enough to be proud of. All events from WePlay Holding are original, each one is different from the previous one — there is always a special something and a unique style. In Ukraine, WePlay Holding has already organized a unique event — the first Dota 2 Minor in Bukovel, where we were also partners and could appreciate the level of expertise and gauge the players’ feedback. Our brand also has its style, and esports is already an integral part of it,” said Stepan Shulga, head of esports from Parimatch. “WePlay AniMajor in Kyiv is the first event in the CIS since the onset of the pandemic where the teams came face to face. By supporting tournaments of a level similar to Dota 2 WePlay AniMajor, we are consolidating our leading position in esports betting in the region.”

Numbers, feedback, and WePlay AniMajor impressions

Historically, a Dota 2 Major has a lot of potential. WePlay AniMajor had a peak of over 645,000 concurrent viewers, with more than 272,000 spectators watching it on average. That builds up over 37 million hours watched. And those numbers exclude the Chinese audience! Those impressive numbers made WePlay AniMajor the second most-watched Dota 2 Major in history, only behind Kyiv Major 2017.

Ukrainian audiences could keep up with the official Ukrainian broadcast through Fakty ICTV. They noted the importance of the language and the support of Ukrainian viewers.

“The most important point of this tournament is the language. After all, it was the first time that we had the opportunity to watch an esports tournament in Ukrainian. The Fakty website always broadcasts news to its audience, primarily in their native language, and we are pleased to join such an initiative and support WePlay AniMajor. The tournament was watched by almost 100,000 people on the ICTV Fakty social media, which is definitely a landmark result for us because we only broadcast the final competitions, and our audience is more used to getting news from us — not esports matches,” says Olga Tyschuk, head of the ICTV Internet projects department.

Artline also underscored the importance of such a big event happening in Ukraine.

“In Ukraine, it’s small, local esports events that are held most often. That’s why a global event such as WePlay AniMajor is truly a celebration for all esports fans. The highest organization standards and content quality are a source of great pride. We are happy that ARTLINE computers could become part of this global event.”, says Anton Zhuravsky, CEO of Artline.

The Ukrainian Esports Federation (UESF) also highlighted the importance of the country for the esports industry, and how international tournaments such as the WePlay AniMajor help to push the esports scene in Ukraine forward.

“Holding such an event in Kyiv demonstrates that Ukraine is ready to host events of global significance and to develop the industry further. We are happy and proud that the company, which is one of the best tournament organizers in the world, is based in Kyiv and is our partner, and that we are pushing Ukrainian esports forward together. Our country has every chance to become the leading esports platform in Europe for hosting spectacular international tournaments and championships,” noted Eduard Anokhin, chief operating officer in the Ukrainian Esports Federation (UESF).

Bringing together the best of two worlds

WePlay Collectibles is a project within the WePlay Holding combining the best of two worlds: esports and NFTs! The project was released on June 24 with the Storyline collection and is available to purchase at the Binance NFT marketplace. It is possible to obtain three different types of cards: Logo Cards, Trophy Cards and Story Cards, each representing a part of the unique events and tournaments created by WePlay Holding. The cards from WePlay Collectibles, launched on the best blockchain platform (Binance NFT) to deliver an experience as unique as WePlay AniMajor was, resonate with our tech-savvy audience! Don’t miss the opportunity to get a non-fungible piece of history!

Non-endemic brands at WePlay AniMajor

Esports have no bounds. Getting to know and reaching a young, socially active audience is a good idea to generate brand awareness and show that you can offer excellent service. Brands can unlock their potential by getting into the fastest-growing industry in the world, even if they’re not necessarily related to it.