Challengermode expands the NEL to the Balkans together with Fortuna

Challengermode and Fortuna have entered a partnership for the Balkan region that makes Challengermode the exclusive esports tournament platform for Fortuna and the EBL - the Esports Balkan League - now a part of Challengermode’s National Esports Leagues (NEL).

The Esports Balkan League (EBL) is the biggest competition of its kind in the Balkans, which Tournament Organizer Fortuna has been running for 2 years. It’s also the official ERL (European Regional League) for the Balkan region. The ERL awards 2 spots into the European Masters - an official Pan-European Championship by Riot Games.

As part of the agreement, the EBL online qualifiers and open matches will be played on Challengermode. Moreover, as a new NEL partner, Fortuna will help structure the NEL for the Balkan region, with plans to start a regional league and grow that into several national leagues utilizing some of Fortuna’s partners in the region - enabled by the Challengermode esports platform.

“We have worked with a lot of platforms in the past, but Challengermode definitely has the most dedicated team and shares our values and views on how the grassroots esport scene should be developed. This partnership will give us the tools necessary for continuous development of amateur competitions which are the backbone of every ecosystem, while also creating a very clear path from amateur to pro, something really important to us from the beginning.”
- Mihajlo Džaril, CEO at Fortuna Esports

As the official tournament platform for Fortuna, Challengermode will be used to host the popular weekly Community Tournaments associated with the Balkan League of Legends community, with more games to be included in the future.

“Fortuna is a long-standing partner of Riot Games in the region and we’re very impressed with what they’ve achieved in the past years. The team is incredibly professional and passionate about improving the local esports ecosystem - we couldn’t have hoped for a better partner to help us expand the NEL."
- Phil Hübner, Head of Business Development & Pro Gaming at Challengermode

With the NEL officially expanding into the Balkans, various commercial opportunities will be made possible for both parties and by extension their partners. It also furthers the mission of Challengermode, by growing the grassroots esports scene in the region in general and making it accessible to more players.

"We’ve seen tremendous growth and passion coming from gamers in all of the Balkan countries, so the region is very close to our hearts at Challengermode. This partnership finally allows us to cater to that audience and do them justice while helping in building up and improving the grassroots esports scene for the whole region."
- Philip Skogsberg, co-founder and CMO