Spark has partnered with world-leading esport investment firm, Guinevere Capital, and New Zealand’s national stadium Eden Park to kit-out and power New Zealand’s first 5G high-performance esports hub.

The Spark esports Hub will be the home training ground for both professional and aspiring gamers, offering them a dedicated space connected via both fibre and 5G, providing a reliable back-up for players when gaming in the training rooms as well as the chance to practise their mobile gaming over 5G.

The space is fully equipped with dedicated training rooms, broadcast capabilities, a 5G mobile gaming area and a venue to host future major esport events.

Spark’s Marketing Director Matt Bain says Spark has long had a strategic focus to get customers closer to the things they know and love and the vision behind the launch of Spark’s 5G esports hub is no different.

“We already provide Kiwis with some of the best experiences New Zealand has to offer through our exclusive partnerships with Spark Arena, Netflix and Spotify to name a few. The launch of Spark’s esport Hub is a natural extension to our strategy, with two thirds of New Zealanders engaging in some form of interactive digital entertainment such as mobile and PC gaming.”

One such New Zealander is 26 year-old Dire Wolves member Andy Van Vyer, better known as Cupcake, whose full-time job is to train and compete in the multiplayer online battle game League of Legends.

“There’s a common perception that esports is not a real sport, but we have very similar needs – we train for six to eight hours a day, we aspire to compete on the world stage and we get millions of people tuning in to watch us do what we do best.”

The Spark esports Hub is not only going to provide gamers with a place to develop their PC gaming skills, but also the chance to immerse themselves in the future of mobile gaming, providing access to 5G compatible phones with clip-on mobile controllers.

“The future of 5G is something the New Zealand gaming community is really excited about. Having access to speeds up to 10x faster than 4G can be the difference between victory and defeat when gaming on the go. As 5G reaches more places, it has the potential to transform the way we game and interact with our peers through technology such as augmented and virtual reality,” says Cupcake.

The global esport market is estimated to be worth USD $1.1 billion and is an industry enjoyed by both players and spectators with more than 40% of New Zealanders having watched esports to improve their own gameplay or follow a favourite team.

Principal Architect of the facilty and Owner of the Dire Wolves, Jason Spiller says the New Zealand gaming industry has a lot of potential for growth and the Spark 5G esports hub is a major step in giving both professional and aspiring gamers the ability to hone their skills in an environment that’s custom built for them.

“Spark esport hub is also a critical piece of infrastructure to put New Zealand on the map as an esport destination. It’s a place for Kiwi gamers to physically be together, plan and strategise gaming tactics, all of which will provide that level up to help them compete with international teams.”

The Spark esport hub is located at Entry A, Walters Road Eden Park and is a free, bookable space for any kind of gamer nationwide.

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The two iconic organisations will join forces under the Dire Wolves brand, marking its entry into CS:GO in 2021, and an exciting new chapter for the Oceanic scene.

Dire Wolves, the most successful esports team in Oceania, is pleased to reveal that it has acquired legendary organisation AVANT Gaming, uniting their teams under the Dire Wolves brand.

The merger will see Dire Wolves move into CS:GO for the first time in 2021, expanding its portfolio of stellar oceanic talent.

AVANT Gaming has built an impressive legacy in ANZ esports, equally recognised for its players’ in-game performance in League of Legends, CS:GO, VALORANT, and more, and its captivating approach to content. The organisation brings a decade of experience and some of the region’s best talent under the Dire Wolves banner, marking an exciting new era for the brand.

Dire Wolves, historically known as the best League of Legends team in Oceania, became a multi-disciplinary organisation for the first time in 2020, with the acquisition of N8 Esports and Sydney Drop Bears, moving into FIFA, Overwatch, and more.

Earlier this month, Dire Wolves revealed its  Apex Legends roster, and with the incorporation of AVANT, will now field a CS:GO roster for the first time. As Dire Wolves has already secured its place in the newly revealed League of Legends Circuit Oceania (LCO), the AVANT Gaming slot will be sold to another organisation.

“AVANT is one of the founding organisations of ANZ esports, and it has an invaluable legacy which we’re so proud to be able to carry on as we welcome the team to the Dire Wolves family,” said Jason Spiller, owner of Dire Wolves. “This is a historic moment for Oceanic esports with the new LCO beginning later this month, and with this huge new influx of talent and expertise joining the team, Dire Wolves is ready to be at the centre of it.”

“The Dire Wolves and Avant have always shared an amazing rivalry and mutual respect as two of the leading and most storied esports organisations in Oceania, and this coming together heralds the end of an amazing journey for Avant, but a new era for both organisations, and the further establishment of the Dire Wolves as the dominant esports brand in the region” said Wes Collier, owner of Avant Gaming .

To stay up to date with Dire Wolves, follow them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Dire Wolves today announced to us here at STG that Shern “Shernfire” Cherng Tai has been appointed Co-Coach of the Dire Wolves OPL League of Legends team alongside Andy “Cupcake” van der Vyver following his time competing in North America under the banner of leading LCS brand, Team Liquid.

Shern is extremely excited to return the team he helped bring to success in the 2017 – 2018 seasons stating “Last split the fact that we made it to finals off pure individual skill, I think that means we have the most potential out of every team!…I think you guys will be surprised to see how we are from the start of split to how we are at the end of the split, I’m looking forward to it!”

The Dire Wolves leadership team are equally excited to have Shern return to the Wolf Pack and are looking forward to the experience and talent that he brings to the coaching team alongside veteran kiwi player Cupcake.

The LG Dire Wolves are Oceania’s Most Successful League of Legends team, with a history of success in the Oceanic region representing the playerbase at multiple international events including worlds boasting x4 OPL Championship titles. Based out of the Esports High Performance Center at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the heart of downtown Sydney with a strong focus on player development and results.

Everyone that works on STG is a volunteer. If you like the site and it’s contents please think about donating. Even a small amount helps keep the servers running.

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