The gambling and entertainment giant MERKUR Group has teamed up with BIG (Berlin International Gaming) to make its return to the esports world, kicking things off with a brand-new tournament series called the MERKUR Cash Cups.
As part of this deal, BIG will host Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) Cash Cups with a €4,500 (~$5,206 USD) prize pool every two months on the BIG CLUB, the organisation’s official FACEIT hub. It’s already the biggest Counter-Strike club in Germany, with over 115,000 members.
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Daniel Frinkler, CEO & Co-Owner of Berlin International Gaming, said in an official announcement post,” The MERKUR Masters were an important milestone for the German Counter-Strike esports scene. We’re all the more excited to continue this chapter with the MERKUR Cash Cups. Having MERKUR back as a partner for one of the largest national esports tournaments underlines the strength and lasting impact of the original concept. With the MERKUR Cash Cups, we are finally continuing this success story.”
“Gaming and esports shape the leisure culture of an entire generation today. That makes this environment incredibly exciting for us. With BIG at our side, we have a strong, internationally renowned partner — the perfect foundation for a shared and successful future,” says Nils Rullkötter from MERKUR GROUP.
BIG’s CEO also confirmed that the partnership isn’t just about tournaments. MERKUR and BIG are also planning extra activities, like a joint sports bootcamp at BIG’s Berlin headquarters, where MERKUR employees can experience the esports world up close.
Besides the tournaments, the partnership also focuses on sustainability and fair play. With WebID, BIG will use standard ID and age checks to make sure all players compete safely and fairly.
This partnership is another big step for BIG’s growing lineup of collabs. The team recently renewed its deals with BWI and SkinBaron and brought LevlUp on board as its official performance partner.
