Media hub and esports agency Gaming in Turkey has partnered with online tournament platform FACEIT to launch a collegiate CS:GO league in Turkey.
The announcement will formalise a collegiate CS:GO scene in Turkey that began flourishing in 2018.
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Through the deal, the first tournament to take place through the partnership will be the Collegiate Esports League Turkey, which kicks off in the coming Fall study semester. Turkish universities are already able to build squads and student communities around the competition on FACEIT’s platform.
According to a release, Gaming in Turkey already has plans to fire up collegiate League of Legends and Valorant competitions in 2021.
Serhat Bekdemir, Head of Esports at Gaming in Turkey and Commissioner at IESF’s Esports Education and Youth Leadership Program noted that “our progress was impactful in recent years for the collegiate space in Turkey. Yet we were not able to unify the efforts under one platform.
“FACEIT is giving us the best opportunity to bring the student-gamers under one platform and create solid opportunities to become professionals, both in the game and in the industry.”
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Head of Collegiate Esports at FACEIT, Duran Kamgar-Parsi is keen for what the new league brings to the table, “collegiate leagues are vital for the esports ecosystem. Providing opportunities in a professional environment for new talent is incredibly important.
“Our ambition is to create opportunities for the grassroots scene on a global scale, so it’s great to find like-minded regional partners such as Gaming in Turkey who are equally committed to growing local communities.”
Esports Insider says: Its great to see collegiate leagues formalised, especially considering its one outside of the US. Working closely with FACEIT to provide a clear, high-quality competition will likely do leaps and bounds for the grassroots scene. It’s hard to disagree with more support for amateurs so they can familiarise themselves with the commitment and professionalism expected in the pro scene.