Cologne/New York, September 18, 2023 – ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company, and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) today announced the 61 nations participating in the second season of eFIBA, FIBA’s official NBA 2K24 tournament. Beginning October 3, National Federations across seven regional areas will battle it out in the Pro-Am game mode to secure a spot in the first-ever in-person eFIBA World Finals at DreamHack Winter and a share of the €50,000 prize pool. 

“After a successful inaugural season and eFIBA’s successful participation in The Olympic Esports Series, we are prepared to make the upcoming eFIBA Season 2 a landmark international event,” said Frank Leenders, FIBA Media and Marketing Services Director General. “eFIBA allows us to reach new basketball enthusiasts and build a global community of players and fans who share a passion for the game.” 

eFIBA Season 2 is more than doubling its participating federations and expanding its competition schedule. The event includes online Regional Qualifiers from October 3 to November 2 and Regional Finals from November 7 to 9 across South East Asia, Oceania, Middle East, Africa, North America, South America, and Europe. The winning nation from each Regional Final and the top two from Europe will secure a spot in the eFIBA Season 2 World Finals 2023, taking place live at the immersive gaming lifestyle festival, DreamHack Winter, from November 25-26 in Elmia, Jönköping, Sweden. 

“The significant growth of participating National Federations and the incredible feedback we have received from players and the community shows that eFIBA is on the right track to become a great offering to the NBA2K community,” said Roger Lodewick, President, Sports Games at ESL FACEIT Group. “Together with FIBA, we have crafted a bold and innovative sporting concept that serves the esports community and connects with basketball fans. We are thrilled to tip off the second season.” 

Below is a breakdown of the national representatives in each regional area.

• Europe (26): Albania, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Türkiye, Ukraine 
• Africa (14): Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria
• North America (6): Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, USA
• Southeast Asia (5): India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore 
• South America (4): Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela
• Oceania (2): Guam, New Zealand
• Middle East (4): Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon

eFIBA Co-Streaming

This season, eFIBA actively works with the NBA2K community through collaborations with creators around the globe, as well as co-streamers of eFIBA events with a suite of customizable resources – including unprecedented access to gameplay feeds, overlays, opportunities to interview players, and more. The suite of streaming tools is open to community streamers, who can apply for exclusive access here. 

Commencing October 3, the Regional Qualifiers and Regional Finals of eFIBA Season 2, as well as the eFIBA World Finals, will be streamed on Tuesdays and Thursdays on eFIBA’s Twitch and YouTube channels, and on FIBA’s Twitch and YouTube channels. Those looking to experience the action live can look forward to attending DreamHack Winter, as tickets to the festival also grant access to the international NBA 2K24 competition. More information about the ticket types and prices can be found on the official DreamHack Winter website.

For more information around eFIBA, visit the official channels on X (Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok. 

For more general information, visit eslfaceitgroup.com or follow ESL FACEIT Group on LinkedIn.

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About FIBA

FIBA (fiba.basketball) – the world governing body for basketball, is an independent association formed by 212 National Basketball Federations throughout the world. It is recognized as the sole competent authority in basketball by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

For further information about FIBA, visit fiba.basketball or follow FIBA on facebook.com/fiba, twitter.com/fiba,  instagram.com/fiba and youtube.com/fiba

About eFIBA

eFIBA, a subsidiary of FIBA (International Basketball Federation), is the official organizer of NBA 2K competitions for national teams. Together with the ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company, eFIBA hosts a variety of annual tournaments, including the Continental Finals and World Finals, to bring teams of national federations onto the virtual court. It serves as a premier destination for basketball and esports fans, offering an exciting fusion of both worlds. Bringing together NBA 2K players and fans from all corners of the world, eFIBA provides an innovative platform for showcasing skills and passion for the game. For more further information about eFIBA, visit the official channels on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. 

About ESL FACEIT Group

ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) is the leading esports and video game entertainment company dedicated to creating worlds beyond gameplay where players and fans become community. EFG is built on a legacy of world-renowned brands including ESL, FACEIT, DreamHack and DreamHack Sports Games, providing innovative ecosystems for global communities of players, fans and creators around the games they love. Working alongside leading partners, brands and global IPs, EFG operates an unmatched portfolio of live events, digital platforms and developer tools that reach and engage millions of gamers worldwide. For more information visit www.eslfaceitgroup.com.

About DreamHack Sports Games

DreamHack Sports Games (DHSG) creates a world where traditional sports meets esports. Having established itself as a leading Sports Games esports brand, DHSG organizes competitive esports leagues and tournaments together with traditional sports organizers, creating high-impact events and media products for some of the world’s biggest sports IP rights holders. DreamHack Sports Games is part of ESL FACEIT Group, the leading esports and video game entertainment company.