PRESS RELEASE SUMMARY – ESL R1 returns for a thrilling Fall Season kicking off on August 31. – 48 of the best virtual racing drivers across 12 prestigious teams will battle it out over the next few months. – The season culminates in the electrifying Fall Major on November 24-26, live at DreamHack Winter in Jönköping, Sweden. – A share of the €225,000 total prize pool is the eye of the prize of the contestants, with the victor being crowned during the Fall Major. – Fans have the chance to grab a free code for RENNSPORT by tuning in during the live broadcast across the season. |
August 29, 2023, New York/Cologne – ESL R1 is back, with the ESL R1 2023 Fall Season kicking off on August 31 and running through until DreamHack Winter on November 24-26. Across eight electrifying rounds and a nail-biting Fall Major, 48 drivers across 12 teams will be battling for a stake in the €225,000 prize pool.
Here is all you need to know about the ESL R1 2023 Fall Season:
The second season of the pristine virtual racing esports league, ESL R1, begins on August 31 – September 1 with its thrilling Round 1, and concludes later this year with an edge-of-your-seat Fall Major in November. The introductory round will see some of the world’s best virtual racing drivers and incredible esports teams face one another in heated competition, aiming to make their way through the Fall Season in the best possible position.
The season continues for a further seven rounds, before concluding with the ESL R1 2023 Fall Major on November 24 – 26. Set to take place live at the immersive three-day gaming lifestyle festival, DreamHack Winter, in Jönköping, Sweden, attendees and fans around the world will witness the best drivers and teams from across the season come head-to-head in a nail-biting finale.
The drivers and teams will be fighting for a stake of the €225,000 prize pool, which is set to be distributed across the Team Championship and the Driver Championship, celebrating the best competing teams and individual racers respectively. Furthermore, the one to take home the top spot in the Driver Championship will be crowned the one and only Champion of the ESL R1 2023 Fall Season.
Viewers tuning in live across the season also have the chance to obtain a code for the RENNSPORT beta, giving players at home the opportunity to take to the ultra-realistic tracks the ESL R1 drivers have been tackling across the season. Check out the live stream to learn more.
Schedule and Format:
Set across eight rounds and ending with the ESL R1 2023 Fall Major, the Fall Season begins later this week with Round 1 during which the new points system will be revealed. Fans will also be able to tune into the Fall Season Knockouts, which will be streamed on Thursdays by trusted community streamers PabloGz205, Valhovamp, GutoColvera, and Lewis McGlade.
- Round 1: August 31 – September 1
- Round 2: September 7 – 8
- Round 3: September 21 – 22
- Round 4: September 28 -29
- Round 5: October 5 – 6
- Round 6: October 26 -27
- Round 7: November 2 – 3
- Round 8: November 9 – 10
- ESL R1 2023 Fall Major: November 24 -26
ESL R1 2023 Fall Season confirmed drivers and teams:
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports Team
Car type: Mercedes
- James Baldwin
- Bono Huis
- Marko Pejić
- Graham Carroll
Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team
Car type: Porsche
- Joshua Rogers
- Mitchell deJong
- Dayne Warren
- Mack Bakkum
BMW M Team BS+Competition
Car type: BMW
- Ryan “Ryan” Barneveld
- Ferris “Ferris” Stanley
- Ibraheem “ibrah” Khan
- Pedro “BMWPedro” Sanchez
FaZe Clan
Car type: Porsche
- Ian “Crimsix” Porter
- Matti Sipilä
- Gianmarco Fiduci
- Cem Bolukbasi
FURIA
Car type: BMW
- Caique “Oliveira” Oliveira
- Gustavo “Ariel” Ariel
- Lasse “Sørensen” Sørensen
- Lasse “Bak” Bak
G2 Esports
Car type: BMW
- Robbie Stapleford
- Eamonn Murphy
- Sebastian “Sebi” Job
- Isaac “Isaac” Price
HEROIC
Car type: Porsche
- Tommy Østgaard
- Mikkel Gade
- Tuomas Tähtelä
- Oskar Biksrud
MOUZ
Car type: Audi
- Maximilian Benecke
- Moritz Löhner
- Patrik Holzmann
- Yuri Kasdorp
Team Redline
Car type: BMW
- Luke Bennett
- Kevin Siggy
- Jeffrey Rietveld
- Enzo Bonito
R8G eSports
Car type: Audi
- Marcell Csincsik
- Erhan Jajovski
- Jiri Toman
- Thibault Cazaubon
Mercedes-AMG Williams Esports Team
Car type: Mercedes
- Dáire McCormack
- Jack Keithley
- Nikodem Wisniewski
- Jacub Brzeziński
Mercedes-AMG E-Sports Team ART
Car type: Mercedes
- Niklas Houben
- Kevin “Kev” Ellis, Jr.
- Jamie “Jamie” Fluke
- Yohann “Yohann” Harth
Broadcast talents
- Main Host: Jasmine “Veracity” Kanuga.
- British presenter, commonly known for being a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive host.
- Co-HostBack-Up Host: Rory “EERIEISSSS” Alexander
- Previously worked as a pitlane reporter for ESL R1 at Gamers8, whilst also being a popular British virtual racing YouTuber and Streamer, covering a variety of titles.
- Main Commentator: Lewis McGlade
- An award-winning virtual racing commentator from the United Kingdom, previously covering events such as ESL R1, Le Mans Virtual, and RaceSpot TV.
- Main Commentator: George Morgan
- The lead commentator for GT Sport Organización, FRECA, F1 Esports, and ESL R1.
- Co-Commentator: Ewan O’Leary
- British commentator known for events such as ESL R1, RaceSpot TV, and VCO Esports, and previously commentating for ESL R1 at Gamers8.
Prize pool:
The total prize pool of €225,000 for the ESL R1 2023 Fall Season will be distributed among the top six teams in the Team Championship and the top 12 drivers in the Driver Championship.
Additionally, there will also be a Content Reward prize for the top three teams, awarding those creating the best content across the season.
Furthermore, as part of the ESL R1 2023 Fall Season, the top three drivers of each round will also be eligible for a cash prize. First place grants €1,000, second place earns €400, and finally, third place will see the driver taking home €150. For Round 8, the first place driver will win €1,100 for taking the top position.
Team Championship | ||
Place | Prize Money | Content Reward |
1st | €40,000 | €7,000 |
2nd | €20,000 | €4,000 |
3rd | €15,000 | €1,500 |
4th | €12,500 | – |
5th | €7,500 | – |
6th | €5,000 | – |
7th – 12th | – | – |
Total | €100,000 | €12,500 |
Driver Championship | ||
Place | Prize Money | Cash prize (per round) |
1st | €40,000 | €1,000 (7x; €1,100 for Round 8) |
2nd | €15,000 | €400 (8x) |
3rd | €10,000 | €150 (8x) |
4th | €8,000 | |
5th | €6,000 | |
6th | €5,000 | |
7th | €3,500 | |
8th | €3,000 | |
9th | €2,750 | |
10th | €2,500 | |
11th | €2,250 | |
12th | €2,000 | |
13th – 24th | – | |
Total | €100,000 | €12,500 |
Broadcast and live attendance details:
The ESL R1 2023 Fall Season Knockouts will be streamed live on Thursdays by trusted community streamers, including PabloGz205, Valhovamp, GutoColvera, and Lewis McGlade, with the rest of the season being broadcast on the official ESL R1 Twitch and YouTube channels. The Fall Major will be broadcast from DreamHack Winter in Jönköping, Sweden.
Fans looking forward to experiencing the action live during the 2023 Fall Major in Jönköping, Sweden, can purchase a ticket for DreamHack Winter as all tickets to the festival grant access to the virtual racing competition. More information about the ticket types and how to purchase yours can be found here.
Assets for the ESL R1 2023 Fall Season can be found in the press kit which is available here. Photos of Round 1 and 2 of the 2023 Spring Season, which took place live at the IEM Expo in conjunction with IEM Katowice 2023 earlier this year, can be found here and photos of the 2023 Spring Major, hosted at the RENNSPORT Summit in Munich, Germany, on June 3-4, are available here.
For more information about ESL R1 you can head to the official website, and follow ESL R1 on X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
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About ESL
ESL creates a world where everybody can be somebody. For more than two decades, we have been shaping the industry and leading esports and gaming innovation globally across the most popular video games, creating a comprehensive ecosystem with opportunities for players to go from zero to hero and for fans to witness the best stories esports has to offer. The ESL portfolio consists of high-profile products such as the ESL Pro Tour, Intel® Extreme Masters, the Snapdragon Pro Series, and many more, ranging from grassroots to global elite competitions. ESL is part of ESL FACEIT Group, the leading competitive games and esports company.
About ESL R1
Setting a whole new standard for virtual racing, ESL R1 – Racing Released is the pristine RENNSPORT esports league by ESL, part of the ESL FACEIT Group. Bringing racing culture to the digital age, ESL R1 places the passionate community of racers right in the driver’s seat, ensuring it is always the number one priority. RENNSPORT utilizes cutting edge Unreal Engine 5 technology to bring the incredible virtual racing experience to life, whether you’re behind the steering wheel yourself or experiencing the exhilaration of an ESL R1 competition (https://eslr1.com/).
About RENNSPORT
RENNSPORT is a new virtual racing platform that makes ultra-realistic racing accessible to anyone. It’s our obsession to create the perfect racing game, ensuring it’s an ultra-realistic virtual experience but also fun to drive. Throughout the journey, automotive and game development experts join forces to create a virtual racing hub for all motorsports enthusiasts, and we want to inspire with a bold combination of driving physics developed by experts within the automotive industry, combined with custom Unreal Engine 5 graphics. We create the future of virtual racing and car culture together with you.