Schon Hale, a manager and player within Northwood’s Esports program, has been signed by the world-renowned OG Esports to serve as team manager for their professional Marvel Rivals roster.

Hale, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, joined Northwood University and its championship-winning Esports program in Fall 2024. In his short time on campus, Hale has made a significant impact, managing the varsity Rocket League team and playing for Northwood’s academy roster.

His leadership has extended beyond the field of play — he helped launch Northwood’s first Marvel Rivals roster and co-founded the grassroots collegiate league, College Deadlock.

“Schon is a rare talent — not only does he bring a professional mindset to team management, but he’s also incredibly forward-thinking,” said Assistant Northwood Esports Coach Aden Frosch. “Marvel Rivals is one of the fastest-growing titles in esports, and OG Esports saw the same leadership in Schon that we’ve benefited from at Northwood. It’s a massive win for him and a testament to the type of talent we attract and develop here.”

Hale’s resume includes stints with professional organizations such as Dark Zero and Elevate, as well as attending the 2024 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. His experience and versatility have positioned him well for this next step, as OG Esports prepares to compete in a newly announced Marvel Rivals tournament featuring a staggering $3 million prize pool.

“OG Esports has always been a legendary organization in the scene — two-time champions of The International, backed by Red Bull, and a leader in European esports,” Hale said. “Getting the opportunity to manage their Marvel Rivals team is a dream come true, and I’m grateful to Northwood for helping me grow into this role.”

Despite his new professional responsibilities, Hale will continue his education at Northwood University and remain active with the Rocket League roster. His involvement is expected to deepen as collegiate Marvel Rivals competitions emerge this fall.

“Schon’s signing is proof that careers in esports extend far beyond the player’s seat,” said Northwood Esports Coach Jacob R. Jacob. “This is a proud moment not just for Schon, but for our entire program. His success reflects the spirit of Northwood Esports — developing well-rounded leaders who are prepared to succeed at the highest levels of the industry.”

With Hale’s professional connections and vision, Northwood Esports is actively exploring the creation of a top-tier Marvel Rivals collegiate team, further solidifying its place as a global leader in competitive collegiate gaming.

For more information about Northwood Esports, visit https://esports.northwood.edu/ or utilize this inquiry form to connect with the Northwood Esports coaching staff.

World Journalism Prep celebrates Minecraft esports victory.

Photos by Ramy Mahmoud

Call it a pixel-perfect victory.

A team of students from World Journalism Preparatory: A College Board School, in Queens, secured a major victory at the first-ever NYC Video Games Festival, winning the high school division of the Minecraft Education “Battle of the Boroughs” competition.

The high school team, known as ‘Diamond Sword Bustamoney,’ emerged as citywide champions following a three-stage tournament that began with preliminary digital submissions, advanced through borough-level championships, and culminated in the final round held on May 31. This marks the first time a Queens school has won the title since the competition began in 2021.

The students were honored at a celebration held at the school located at 34-65 192nd St. in Flushing on Tuesday, June 10.

“This is a major achievement for our school and for Queens,” said Ernest Lai, computer science teacher and coach of the school’s Minecraft Club. “The competition required students to solve complex urban planning challenges using Minecraft, while demonstrating creativity, teamwork, and the ability to present their ideas effectively.”

The Battle of the Boroughs was launched by the New York City Department of Education in partnership with Microsoft and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. Originally developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a virtual learning environment, the initiative has grown into a citywide scholastic esports competition. Students in elementary, middle, and high school divisions build digital solutions to real-world urban issues using Minecraft Education Edition.

Jose Perez, instructional technologies director for NYC Public Schools, noted the significance of the win. “This was the first time a Queens high school team captured the title,” Perez said. “Diamond Sword Bustamoney defeated tough competition, including the defending champions from Staten Island’s Tottenville High School.”

Team members credited the program with helping them build practical and interpersonal skills. “Being able to apply my creativity in a competitive setting like this was both challenging and rewarding,” said junior Wendell Joseph Quilang Jr. “Mr. Lai really helped me improve how I communicated our team’s work to the judges.”

Bryan Chiu, also a junior, said the experience combined his passion for gaming with new opportunities. “I’ve always enjoyed Minecraft, but this was on another level,” he said. “The event itself was well-organized and gave us a chance to meet other students and represent our borough with pride.”

Principal Dr. Michelle Roberts Bacchus praised the team’s accomplishment as a reflection of the school’s educational mission. “Our students applied what they’ve learned in and out of the classroom to a real-world challenge,” she said. “This competition underscores the importance of integrating technology and creativity into modern learning.”

The winning team consists of five 11th-grade students, and with another year remaining before graduation, the school is already eyeing the possibility of a repeat victory next year.

“This is not just a club—it’s an opportunity for students to demonstrate leadership, critical thinking, and digital fluency,” Dr. Bacchus said. “We are extremely proud of what they’ve achieved.”

African Powerhouses Seal Global Multi-award-winning Afrobeats singer, Davido has signed a landmark global brand partnership with a sports betting and gaming platform.

This significant deal was successfully brokered by Dupla, Cresthood Legal LLP, and the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 2 (West Africa). This dynamic collaboration between top-tier African and international specialists in sports, entertainment, and legal advisory brings together Stake. com and Davido.

The gaming platform sought to align with a high-impact African creative whose personal brand and cultural influence could profoundly elevate its profile. This was driven by a strategic aim to establish a dominant market presence in Africa. To realise this vision, Dupla partnered with Uche Egbe, Managing Director of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 2 (West Africa) and Oluwasanmi Falade, Partner, Cresthood Legal, in identifying an individual whose values and reach perfectly align with platform’s forward-looking brand ethos.

Drawing from their deep understanding of the entertainment ecosystem and leveraging years of relationship-building, Falade and Egbe meticulously curated a shortlist of top-tier African creatives. From this esteemed selection, Davido emerged as the clear and compelling choice. He is an artist whose global appeal, cultural relevance, and entrepreneurial reputation made him a natural fit for the global brand.

The successful brokering and careful structuring of this agreement, was a true testament to the integrated approach of the involved partners. This process included close coordination with Davido’s management team. Luis Cardenas and Miguel Montoro, Dupla’s co-founders, brought their extensive insight and experience, to build synergies across the sports and entertainment worlds. Oluwasanmi Falade’s industry network played a pivotal role in facilitating the deal.

“Working with professionals who understand both the cultural and commercial dynamics of the deal was key. We are impressed with how this deal went,” said Luis Cardenas and Miguel Montoro, co-founders of Dupla and former senior LALIGA executives.

Oluwasanmi Falade, Partner at Cresthood Legal, noted, “Our focus was on ensuring the deal was structured to serve the long-term interests of all parties. It’s a proud moment for us all. Davido’s unique brand value and cultural influence made him the clear choice, and we’re proud to have contributed to making this vision a reality.”

Uche Egbe, Managing Director of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 2, added, “It’s exciting to see a deal of this scale shaped by an African-led team. The depth of local understanding paired with international experience made the outcome truly impactful.”

This collaboration not only signifies a major win for African representation in global brand partnerships but also sets a new benchmark for strategic alliances within today’s dynamic digital entertainment economy.

Gaming is a larger platform than film, TV, and music, forming a powerful media channel and opening vast opportunities for retail media and advertising.

In this episode of The Garage, hosts Dan Masamino and Evan Hovorka sit down with Greg Carroll, general manager of gaming experiences at Microsoft Advertising, to explore the nexus of gaming and retail media.

They explore the world of gaming advertising, showing how brands can create authentic engagements with audiences while preserving the integrity of the gaming experience. Take a deep dive into the potential of Microsoft’s ecosystem, which reaches over 3.4 billion gamers worldwide. 

From sharing stories about small-town origins to exploring how to turn offline data into actionable insights, this episode of The Garage offers a clear look at how hyperlocal advertising can create new opportunities for brands, agencies, and retailers.  

Episode highlights:

[05:26] The Evolution of Gaming — The evolution of how people interact with gaming and its relationship with advertisers, retail media, although new compared to films and TV has introduced the monetization of the industry. Greg discusses how he leverages different things to bring retail media to focus in this space while protecting the gamer. He shares how his expertise in advertising technology and passion for gaming merged to birth his journey.

[09:04] The Delicate Balance of Gaming Experience for Brands and Users — Enrich the experience and unlock something that people are passionate about and love. Greg describes the gaming space as one closest to sports. This strategy ensures the halo effect for brands and retailers and any disruptions to this experience can have negative consequences for both users and brands. Greg adds that the alignment of passions always creates a win-win situation.

[15:43] The Future of Gaming Marketing — Greg shares the importance of a multi-platform approach and the effectiveness especially in a mid-to-lower marketing process and how it helps brands reach gamers in relevant ways across board, highlighting The Prada Candy Crush partnership as one that showcases these interactive branded experiences. He explains that Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem offers a diverse range of interaction channels that optimize advertising performance and aligns messaging with gaming context and platform. He highlights The Prada Candy Crush partnership as one that showcases the  effectiveness of interactive branded experiences.

[26:34] How Gaming Influences Community Building — The Covid-19 lockdowns validated how important gaming was as an escape, allowing gamers not just to associate but also socialize. Social gaming platforms recorded a massive surge in participation – it was an absolute boom for gaming according to Greg. The platform creates meaningful connections between people as well as shared experiences and this has transformed gaming. He says that with the engagement levels comparable to traditional sports, gaming communities require a nuanced understanding and respect to ensure successful marketing integration.

Image Via Tatsujin

It has been a very long time since the Truxton game was last seen. Truxton Extreme is the new title in the franchise after more than 30 years, coming now with a big return. Tatsujin, who is the team behind this game (one of them is Masahiro Yuge from Toaplan), announced this one for PS5 in 2023. But later, not many updates came. Many fans thought it was maybe canceled. Now, finally, at Future Games Show, they revealed the demo and said the game will arrive on both PS5 and PC in 2025.

Truxton Extreme Demo Out During Steam Fest

Starting from June 9, you can now try out the demo of Truxton Extreme during Steam Next Fest. It will stay available until June 16 or 17, depending on where you live. This demo gives a good idea of how the full game might feel. Inside the demo, there are:

• Tutorial for showing game controls

• Story Mode with a bit of manga scenes and a new hero Ash

• Arcade Mode which is fast and more intense

• Heart Starter Mode (a little easier with revival after death)

Some people said it feels very old-school and nostalgic, while others praised the bullet speed in Arcade, saying it was just like before but sharper looking.

Gameplay Stuff and Modes Explained

Truxton Extreme still keeps the old school shooter roots, but also does some new stuff.

• Gameplay is vertical shooting, full of bullets and chaos

• Weapons like Truxton Beam, Thunder Laser, Power Shot and Homing Shot are back

• Bombs still exist too. very useful when surrounded

The 3 game modes include:

• Story Mode: It has 18 chapters with manga cutscenes by Junya Inoue

• Arcade Mode: Focuses on reflexes and score, no real story

• Heart Starter Mode: It’s ean asy way for those who are not good at this type of game

Look and Music Both Upgraded

Visually, the game has new 3D models, but don’t lose the classic feelings. Backgrounds, ships, bosses—everything has much more detailed textures than before. Music is composed by Masahiro Yuge, the same guy from original, and now he mixes old themes with new style which is also kind of catchy and exciting.

When is It Coming and Where

Right now, no final date for full game release, but it said it will be in 2025 for PC and PS5. Tatsujin even held a long livestream on June 8 to play the demo and talk about it.

You can wishlist the game on Steam and also join discussions in community forums.

ALSO READ: Wuthering Waves 2.5 Beta Recruitment Begins

So, Truxton Extreme might have been gone, but now it’s back and looks pretty solid in the demo. While some things can be better polished, the core gameplay feels very alive. If you liked the old shoot ’em ups or want to try something challenging, don’t miss this demo during Steam Fest. The full version is not far too much now.

Spribe is stepping into the spotlight as the proud sponsor of the Best Ortak Partner category at this year’s Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards! With a 10,000 FTN prize pool on the line, this award will spotlight the partner who’s gone above and beyond,driving results, building strong alliances, and making waves in the Ortak ecosystem.

The Harmony Meetup 7 and Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 2025, which will take place in Yerevan, Armenia on 8-11 July, gathers industry leaders to celebrate innovation in iGaming. This prestigious event offers a unique opportunity for sponsors to gain exclusive visibility, align with the forefront of digital innovation, and connect with key players shaping the future of the industry. Join us and showcase your brand on a global stage.

A defining moment of the event will be the unveiling of FTN’s 7 dimensions, an ambitious framework that positions Fasttoken as a leader in designing the future of digital innovation. Spanning decentralised solutions, immersive experiences and financial empowerment, these dimensions encapsulate the expansive potential of the FTN ecosystem. Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 2025 presents an unparalleled opportunity to align your brand with this transformative journey.