The island of Malta is fast becoming one of the main hubs of esports gaming in Europe. Not satisfied with hosting a number of tournaments over the past few years, Eden Esports and Fantasyexpo have announced this week that their European Development Championship (EDC) series of tournaments will take place in Malta, starting in 2021.
Alongside a professional tournament that will offer cash prizes of up to $150,000, the event will also allow for people to explore the different professional development opportunities that exist within the esports and esports betting industries on the island.
Furthermore, the events are scheduled to be held at different venues across the island with the aim of helping promote and nurture the burgeoning amateur and grassroots esports scene that is springing up across Malta.
The deal is another feather in the cap for GamingMalta, a not-for-profit organisation that plays a key role in promoting the Maltese esports and gaming industry. The organisation played a key role in persuading Eden Esports and Fantasyexpo that Malta was the perfect place to hold their new Championship series.
The European Development Championship will see $30,000 up for grabs in each of the five tournaments, which will feature 16 teams, a mix of direct invites from the CS:GO community, and qualifiers.
GamingMalta and Eden have worked together in the past when they teamed up to promote and work on the very first competitive esports tournaments in Malta, SuperNova Malta and Malta Vibes.
Exciting 2021 in Store for Maltese Esports
This latest news means that 2021 will be arguably the most significant year for the development of esports and opportunities within the industry in Malta. Not only is the EDC set to host its first event on the island but also the island will play host to its first-ever set of ESL Pro League fixtures during 2021 too.
Speaking about the new arrangement the COO of GamingMalta, Ivan Filletti, commented:
“Malta is delighted to see the local ecosystem grow in stature and adapting to new realities. This tournament is another example of [a] local-based successful esports organisation forging a way forward.”
In a similar tone, the CEO of Eden Esports Sergey Bidzan also reflected on the agreement stating:
“We are pleased to extend our partnership with GamingMalta, whose support within the last three years has played a key role in Eden Esports’ growth from a tiny local gaming center to an international tournament operator.”
“The way GamingMalta supports the esports scene is just incredible and their initiatives are an example to be followed by other governments. We are excited to move side-by-side towards our common goal – to make Malta one of the world’s esports hubs.”
Number of Advances in Malta
This latest news is just another in a series of major announcements and advances in the Maltese esports industry of late. The Malta Gaming Authority has just released its suspicious betting alert tool which will become statutory to use from January for esports betting providers on the island.
Furthermore, sites like esportsbets.com have launched a number of features, such as the new Esports Tournament Guide and Schedule, which allows you to keep track of many of the top tournaments being played across the world, including of course those set to take place in Malta in 2021 and beyond.
These are exciting times for the esports industry in Malta. Clever investment by the government, a willingness for private enterprise to follow, and attracting some of the biggest names in esports to the island promises a very rosy future in Esports not just in Malta, but as a hub for esports globally too.
