48 drivers and 12 teams competed live across four days to take home a share of the staggering $1,000,000 prize pool
| PRESS RELEASE SUMMARY – The ESL R1 Mid Season tournament was hosted at Gamers8 sponsored by Aramco in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on July 27-30. – The top 12 drivers and six best teams have taken home a share of the jaw-dropping $1,000,000 prize pool. – MOUZ’ Maximilian Benecke claimed the first place for the Driver Championship, while Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team emerged victorious during the Team Championship. |
July 31, 2023, New York/Cologne/Riyadh – The ESL R1 2023 Mid Season Event has drawn to a thrilling finale, as 48 drivers and 12 teams across the four-day tournament burnt rubber to earn a stake of the $1,000,000 prize pool. The exhilarating tournament ended with Maximilian Benecke, driving for German esports organization MOUZ, and Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team emerging as Champions.
Across the weekend, both participants and viewers around the globe were glued to the screen, as the drivers competed against one another using RENNSPORT’s state-of-the-art virtual racing software live at Gamers8 sponsored by Aramco in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Maximilian Benecke took the top spot for the Driver Championship, with Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team’s Joshua Rogers following closely behind. The Team Championship saw Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team win the well deserved position of first place, trailed by Team Redline.
Day one started off to an electrifying start, as the Driver Championship kicked into gear. The Group Stage saw 48 drivers compete in 8 races, with only the top 12 making it to day 2. Joshua Rogers and Team Redline’s Kevin Siggy both delivered exceptional performances, marking themselves as the first drivers to secure a spot in the final.
After a tense first round, the top 12 drivers returned for day 2, which saw them compete in Finalist Mode. The first driver to rack up a grand total of 80 points and secure a first place victory would be crowned the Champion, a title which Maximilian Benecke expertly achieved with 105 points, taking home $100,000 of the prize pool. Both Joshua Rogers and Team Redline’s Jeffrey Rietveld also put in phenomenal performances, ranking themselves second and third respectively, with ESL R1 2023 Spring Season Champion, R8G eSports’ Marcell Csincsik claiming fourth place.
The high-octane action didn’t end there, as day 3 marked the beginning of the Team Championship with the Group Stage. 12 of the world’s best virtual racing teams delivered an exceptional show to spectators, with the top six teams proceeding to the final stage of the competition.
As the final day approached, Team Redline and G2 Esports showcased their talents during Finalist Mode, but it was Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team who claimed 150 points and a first place victory. With a total of 187 points, the car manufacturer teamPorsche Coanda Esports Racing Team took home a staggering $250,000 of the prize pool, becoming the top team at the ESL R1 2023 Mid Season Event.
ESL R1 2023 Mid Season Event final ranking and prize pool winnings:
Driver Championship results and prize pool winnings:
| Driver Championship | ||
| Place | Driver | Prize money |
| 1st | Maximilian Benecke | $100,000 |
| 2nd | Joshua Rogers | $75,000 |
| 3rd | Jeffrey Rietveld | $52,000 |
| 4th | Marcell Csincsik | $37,000 |
| 5th | Jiri Toman | $30,000 |
| 6th | Kevin Siggy | $23,500 |
| 7th | Dayne Warren | $20,000 |
| 8th | James Baldwin | $17,500 |
| 9th | Kevin Ellis Jr | $15,000 |
| 10th | Jakub Brzezinski | $12,500 |
| 11th | Tommy Østgaard | $10,000 |
| 12th | Yuri Kasdorp | $7,5000 |
| Total | $400,000 | |
Team Championship results and prize pool winnings:
| Team Championship | ||
| Place | Team | Prize money |
| 1st | Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team | $250,000 |
| 2nd | Team Redline | $150,000 |
| 3rd | G2 Esports | $100,000 |
| 4th | MOUZ | $50,000 |
| 5th | R8G Esports | $30,000 |
| 6th | Mercedes-AMG Petronas | $20,000 |
| Total | $600,000 | |
ESL R1 will return later this year with a thrilling 2023 Fall Season, in which the best virtual racing drivers and teams will continue their rivalries for a spot in the ESL R1 2023 Fall Major taking place live at DreamHack Winter in Jönköping, Sweden, on November 25-26.
For more information about ESL R1, head to the official website, and follow ESL R1 on 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.
About “Gamers8 – The Land Of Heroes”:
Gamers8 is the world’s largest esports and gaming festival and the destination for elite esports champions and gaming universe lovers. It’s the ultimate place to compete for glory and become a hero walking among the worlds of your chosen story. Located in Riyadh at the heart of Saudi Arabia, Gamers8 spans a period of eight weeks from July to September 2023, with new challenges and experiences unlocked every week. You can watch the world’s top esports teams compete for the highest prize pools, attend performances by global music artists, experience your favourite gaming platforms come to life, and learn the mysteries behind the creation of video games. Gamers8 is your world and it’s your adventure to choose.
“Gamers8: The Land of Heroes” follows the success of last year’s Gamers8 at Boulevard Riyadh City. Gamers8 2022 saw the world’s best teams and players battle it out across five top titles – Rocket League, Dota 2 Riyadh Masters, Fortnite, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and PUBG Mobile – for a prize pool of $15million. The 2022 event was visited by more than 1.4 million visitors and watched by more than 132 million people around the globe. A total of 391 professional players – representing more than 61 nationalities – and 113 international teams took part in the world-class esports competitions.
Gamers8: The Land of Heroes has a total prize pool of $45 million – more than double last year’s grand prize total – and will host the elite of esports in a state of the art, purpose-built venue at Boulevard Riyadh City. The festival will conclude with a gaming and esports forum, known as “The Next World Forum”, that brings together sector leaders and experts from around the world.