BLAST Expands to Mongolia, Riot Considers Prediction Markets, and PGL Extends 1xBet Deal

The esports business sector has seen a flurry of recent activity with major partnership announcements, expansion plans, and sponsorship considerations across tournament organizers and developers. From new international locations to long-term betting collaborations, the industry continues to evolve its commercial strategies.

Tournament organizer BLAST announced a partnership with the Mongolian Esports Association on September 8th, 2026. As part of this collaboration, BLAST will host a Tier 1 Counter-Strike tournament in Ulaanbaatar in May 2027. The event features 16 teams competing for a 1.25 million dollar prize pool. This move follows growing interest in Counter-Strike within Mongolia, driven by the success of The MongolZ at the Austin Major and the 2025 Esports World Cup. This agreement marks a further expansion into the Asian market for BLAST, following a similar collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board.

In another major development, a Bloomberg report revealed on September 10th, 2026, that Riot Games is considering sponsorships with prediction market operators Polymarket and Kalshi. Joe Hixson, Communications Lead at Riot Games, stated that the company is evaluating these potential deals with a focus on safeguarding competitive integrity, potential value for teams, impact on the fan experience, and alignment with broader ecosystem goals. Neither Kalshi nor Polymarket has commented on the discussions. This follows Riot's June 2025 decision to permit betting sponsorships in its esports scenes to help teams build financial sustainability.

Meanwhile, tournament organizer PGL announced an extension of its existing partnership with bookmaker 1xBet. Running until the end of 2029, 1xBet will remain the exclusive bookmaker for PGL's Dota 2 and Counter-Strike tournaments. The collaboration includes logo placement across broadcasts and social media, alongside fan activations during tournaments. PGL noted that the extended partnership will assist in developing new formats and reaching wider audiences over the coming years.

Additional business movements include Saudi Arabian esports organization Twisted Minds securing a data deal with Shikenso to track sponsorship exposure and engagement across rosters and social media channels. Shikenso has previously partnered with organizations such as GamerLegion, ESL FACEIT Group, and Team Falcons. Additionally, Riot Games teamed up with Coinbase and content creators including Tyson TenZ Ngo for the One Shot Tournament, a one-versus-one amateur and pro event offering a top prize of one Bitcoin.