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eSports in Rainbow Six: Focus on China and Saudi Arabia

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eSports in Rainbow Six: Focus on China and Saudi Arabia

Ubisoft wants to take off in China and Saudi Arabia with Rainbow Six. Both regions could become the next major growth drivers in eSports.
Ubisoft is clearly looking ahead. For Francois-Xavier Deniele, Vice President of Global Esports, the greatest opportunities for Rainbow Six lie in two regions that already have enormous appeal today: China and Saudi Arabia. Both markets are at the center of the long-term global strategy that will carry Rainbow Six over the next ten years, Deniele told eSports.

China in particular plays a key role in these considerations. The market is huge, eSports consumption is firmly anchored in the culture and extends far beyond the traditional gaming communities. For Deniele, China is not a potential bonus, but a real game changer.

Once Rainbow Six gains a foothold there, the global balance of power could shift noticeably. For him, China is not just a country. It is an eSports continent in its own right. A mainstream audience that consumes competitive games as a matter of course would give the scene a new dynamic and massively increase the reach of Rainbow Six.

Saudi Arabia as a laboratory for innovation

The MENA region, especially Saudi Arabia, is also coming into focus. The kingdom has been investing specifically in esports for years and is positioning itself as a global hotspot for tournaments, talent, and organizational structures.

For Ubisoft, this is not a short-term trend, but an environment with real potential. The community is growing rapidly, events are attracting international attention, and regional promotion is creating stable conditions. Deniele sees Saudi Arabia as a laboratory for new ideas, formats, and talent. The global plan is clear: Rainbow Six should continue to grow—but not blindly. Every region ticks differently, every scene has its own dynamics. Rainbow Six was recently a phenomenon in Brazil, and Europe and North America are picking up again. Now China and Saudi Arabia are set to open the next big chapters. Ubisoft is focusing on long-term development rather than short-term hype and is working to build local scenes before pursuing international ambitions.

This could have far-reaching consequences for global competition: more viewers, new teams, different playing styles. Above all, however, it could provide an even broader foundation for a scene that has been growing steadily for ten years. If Ubisoft is right, the future of R6 eSports will be written in Asia and the Middle East.

Four players dropped: Mumbru names squad for Israel game

Sports Of The Day
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Four players dropped: Mumbru names squad for Israel game

The DBB team will play its first World Cup qualifying game against Israel in Ulm on Friday. National coach Alex Mumbru has now announced the squad he will be fielding for the game—and who will be captain.

For the first window in the World Cup qualifiers after winning the European Championship in the summer, Alex Mumbru called up four European champions – Andreas Obst, Oscar da Silva, Justus Hollatz, and Isaac Bonga – and several newcomers to his 17-man squad following the late nomination of Berlin’s Jack Kayil.

As is well known, twelve players are allowed to be listed on the match report per game. While Obst did not travel with the national team due to injury, the national coach still had four players to drop for the respective games.

Welp and Pape must wait for their debut – Sengfelder captain

For the first game against Israel (Friday, 7:30 p.m.) in Ulm, it was Collin Welp, Till Pape, Kay Bruhnke, and Nelson Weidemann, who was injured with an ankle injury and was the last player to be cut before the European Championship. With Norris Agbakoko, who was called up for the first time, and Mahir Agva, the big surprise in the squad, two players could make their debut.

Pape and Welp, who was invited for the first time, will therefore have to wait a little longer for their first appearance for the DBB team. Bruhnke already has two international games under his belt, while Weidemann has played in 14. Ulm local hero Christian Sengfelder, bronze medalist with Germany at the 2022 European Championships on home soil, will serve as captain.

On Thursday, the entire squad was able to train together for the first time and worked on “internalizing the game plan and familiarizing themselves with the systems,” the DBB announced on its website.

The squad at a glance:

Norris Agbakoko (Alba Berlin), Mahir Agva (Yukatel Merkezefendi Belediyesi/TUR), Isaac Bonga (Partizan Belgrade/SRB), Oscar da Silva (FC Bayern Munich), Malte Delow (Alba Berlin), Justus Hollatz (FC Bayern Munich), Jack Kayil (Alba Berlin, nominated after the fact), David Krämer (Real Madrid/ESP), Jonas Mattisseck (Alba Berlin), Joshua Obiesie (Basketball Löwen Braunschweig), Louis Olinde (BAXI Manresa/ESP), Christian Sengfelder (ratiopharm ulm)

After McLaren disqualification: Alexander Albon questions FIA principle

Phil Laffertey
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After McLaren disqualification: Alexander Albon questions FIA principle

Williams driver Alexander Albon criticizes random checks on the underbody and calls for complete checks of all cars—despite time pressure for the FIA.

The discussion about the underbody rules continues to gather momentum after McLaren’s double disqualification in Las Vegas. Alexander Albon has now also spoken out, voicing clear criticism of the way the FIA enforces the regulations. “My problem is not with the rule itself, but with how it is enforced,” says the Williams driver. He considers the random tests that are usually used to be “difficult” and potentially unfair.
Albon argues that, in theory, teams could “drive the car to the limit” without getting caught as long as they are not randomly selected—an imbalance that he views critically. “I would prefer to see all 20 cars checked every weekend,” he explains. “Then it would be really fair.”

He admits that the FIA simply does not have the time for this: full checks are extremely time-consuming and sometimes require the vehicles to be partially dismantled. Nevertheless, he is bothered by the principle of random selection: “It’s this random principle that’s a bit difficult. But yes: rules are rules.”

Albon: That’s how sensitive the setup work is

Albon explains why the teams push themselves so hard to the limit by pointing to the enormous sensitivity of the current cars. “These cars are incredible now,” he emphasizes. “We adjust the ride height according to the wind we expect on race day.” Even a slight headwind on the straight can change the entire aerodynamic behavior and thus the ground clearance.

Sprint weekends like Las Vegas exacerbate the problem: “You hardly have any running time, you have to play it safe—and sometimes you sit there on Sunday and think: We could have gotten a lot more out of it because we hardly had any wear on the plank.” But that’s just a side effect of the current generation of rules.

No quick solution in sight

Albon doesn’t believe that the issue will suddenly be resolved with the new regulations, even though ground effect is unlikely to be as prominent with the new ones coming in 2026. “It will be less extreme, but it will remain a topic of conversation,” he says.

The basic philosophy of running the car as low to the ground as possible will continue to exist, whether at the front or the rear. This means that there will likely be further discussion in the future about whether the spot checks are sufficient or whether teams can slip through gray areas.

Lando Norris after Las Vegas shock: Wants to take even more risks!

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Lando Norris after Las Vegas shock: Wants to take even more risks!

After the bitter disqualification in Las Vegas, Lando Norris announces that he will continue to push aggressively to the limit despite the title fight.

After the bitter double disqualification of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, McLaren emphasizes that it wants to continue taking risks in the final stages of the World Championship. In the casino metropolis, both MCL39s were disqualified due to excessive wear on the underbody.

A setback that suddenly exacerbated the championship situation: Norris continues to lead the drivers’ standings, but only with a 24-point lead over Piastri and Max Verstappen, who are lurking behind with the same number of points. Norris contradicts the impression of an overly aggressive setup

Norris: We took too little risk!

Despite the setback, Norris does not want to change his basic approach – on the contrary. The Briton explains that McLaren did not take too many risks in Las Vegas, but rather too few: “In some ways, you could almost say we didn’t take enough risks,” he emphasizes. “We were actually slower because of our problems, not faster.”

He says he is therefore “almost even more motivated” to tackle the setup boldly for the upcoming weekend in Qatar. “We will have more performance. In Formula 1, you always have to push to the limit to win.” The ride height disqualification doesn’t change that: “It’s much more complicated than simply saying, ‘They were low, so they were fast.’”

Why McLaren isn’t playing it safe despite the title fight

The title fight is close, but Norris makes it clear: playing it safe is not an option. “We want to win these last races. If we don’t get everything perfect—like in Brazil—Red Bull will be faster again and beat us,” he warns.

The approach therefore remains unchanged: “We are here to win. We will fight to the end, and that’s what I want too.” Only by pushing to the max can Norris seize this historic opportunity in the fiercely contested three-way battle against Red Bull and his own sister car.

The Qatar Grand Prix presents a particular challenge: it’s the last sprint weekend of the season – additional risk, less practice time, more strategic tightrope walking. After that, only the showdown in Abu Dhabi remains.

Norris sees Verstappen and Piastri as “equal threats” in the title race

Phil Laffertey
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Norris sees Verstappen and Piastri as “equal threats” in the title race

The title race is coming to a head after McLaren’s Las Vegas disaster – Norris and Piastri explain how they are dealing with the new points situation

After the turbulent Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Formula 1 title race has dramatically intensified. The double disqualification of McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri has brought Max Verstappen dangerously close and made him a serious contender for the world championship title once again.

Ahead of this weekend’s race in Doha, Verstappen is now just 24 points behind championship leader Norris and draws level with Piastri. The Australian lost 13 points to the world champion due to the zero score, but remains closer to Norris than he would have been without the disqualification.

Norris: “Max and Oscar are equally big threats”

What seemed like Norris’ almost certain first title just a few days ago is now completely up in the air again. Despite the difficult situation, the championship leader remains calm. For him, nothing has changed in his assessment of his strongest competitors.

“I mean, we’ve seen [Verstappen] as a threat all year, even when he was a few points behind,” Norris emphasizes. “We know what he’s capable of, we know what Red Bull is capable of, so nothing changes. He’s still a threat and has been all year.”

His approach therefore remains unchanged: “I’m really trying not to treat it any differently because it doesn’t make sense. Nothing needs to be handled differently.” Red Bull has been strong lately and will continue to be so this weekend and at the finale in Abu Dhabi, according to Norris.

But it’s not just Verstappen he has his eye on, but also his teammate Piastri. In a direct comparison, the Briton says: “They’re both the same. I think they’re both just as good as each other. Oscar is capable of doing exactly the same as Max.”

“Both have advantages and disadvantages, Max in a different team and Oscar in the reigning constructors’ champions’ team. But every driver wants to fight for himself and prove that he is the best. So both are very competitive, both very strong, incredible drivers, and I’m looking forward to a good fight.”

Piastri: Title still possible despite “net disadvantage”

Piastri sees more harm than good in the disqualification, even though it meant the gap to Norris at the top of the championship remained smaller than if he had finished fourth under normal circumstances.

“I think overall it’s still a net disadvantage,” he sums up. “Ultimately, it’s never good to have a result like that. Yes, it prevents me from losing those six points to Lando, but it also brings Max much closer into the fight.”

The new situation also raised the question of whether McLaren was considering using Piastri to help Norris. But this option was quickly rejected.
“We had a very brief discussion about it and the answer is no,” Piastri makes clear ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. “I’m still level on points with Max and have a reasonable chance of winning the championship if things go my way. So that’s how we’re playing it.” However, he knows full well that his chances are slimmer than before.

“Of course, I also know that it’s more of an outside chance. I’m dependent on other things going my way. I’m very aware of that. I’ll just try to have the best weekends possible, as I always do. Then we’ll see what happens with the others.”

McLaren debacle in Las Vegas: Norris and Piastri had a premonition

Phil Laffertey
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McLaren debacle in Las Vegas: Norris and Piastri had a premonition

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri reveal why they knew early on that McLaren was in for trouble in Las Vegas and how they are dealing with it

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri confirmed ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix that they already anticipated an impending disqualification in Las Vegas when reviewing the race with the team at the track.

“There was a bit of an expectation, so it wasn’t completely out of the blue or a surprise,” Norris said. “So we were pretty prepared for what the outcome might be. But actually, I felt pretty good about it. I left the track. We did our debrief. We talked about what was good and what wasn’t good. Things we need to improve here.”

Both McLaren drivers were disqualified after the race in Las Vegas because their cars failed technical inspection due to excessive wear on the skid blocks on the underbody. They had previously finished the race in second (Norris) and fourth (Piastri) place.

The zero points benefit championship rival Max Verstappen, who is now only 24 points behind championship leader Norris after his victory and is tied on points with Piastri.

Piastri: “Knew we were in trouble”

“Of course it hurts,” Norris admits. “There’s so much effort that goes into every weekend, and all that effort felt like it was wiped out very quickly. Everyone at McLaren is disappointed, but actually it was quite easy for me to put it behind me, take a few days off and start afresh here.”

Piastri also reveals that he immediately recognized the precarious situation when McLaren was summoned by the stewards. “That’s when we knew we were in trouble.”

“When you’re called before the stewards, especially for something like this, you try to stay optimistic, but there’s only so much optimism you can have. So I knew even then that we weren’t in a good position. I found out officially at the airport.”

Stella: Sensor failure made diagnosis impossible

The team tried to argue that there were mitigating circumstances for the illegal wear of the skid blocks—without success. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella explains that Piastri’s sensor failure meant that the condition of the underbody could not be monitored in real time.

In Norris’s case, the team did give the order to slow down a little, but due to the nature of the problem, caused by severe bouncing, this had little effect.

“It’s not as simple as just lifting more and then it gets better. Sometimes, when you lift more, you get more bouncing and the effect is even worse,” explains Norris. “It is what it is. I was lifting throughout the race, so doing it earlier wouldn’t have made any difference.” Piastri says he felt the bouncing, but sometimes a lot of contact with the ground doesn’t automatically mean a lot of wear. “It depends a little bit on the track.”

“It definitely wasn’t a particularly comfortable race in the car, but I didn’t realize how bad the wear was on my car. Because of the sensor failure, we didn’t know exactly how bad it looked,” said Piastri.

Former coach speaks out about tennis star

Jeffrey Gooding
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Former coach speaks out about tennis star

Gilles Simon worked with tennis star Daniil Medvedev for just one year. The coach speaks out about the Russian.

Daniil Medvedev is the enfant terrible of tennis. The Russian repeatedly attracts attention with his emotional outbursts. In 2024, coach Gilles Simon accompanied the former world number one and has now spoken about that time.

Speaking to Eurosport, the 40-year-old said of Medvedev’s outbursts: “When you’re sitting in the box, he’s the most unpleasant person to be with.”

“He’s a player I actually admire.”

He pointed out that Medvedev is “extremely pleasant” off the court, but “when he’s on the court during a match, he has to deal with a little monster inside him that’s not easy to handle.”

Simon emphasized that he knew what he was getting into when he accepted his first coaching position. “He’s a player I really like, whom I even admire and understand,” explained the former pro.

Medvedev didn’t want to change anything

He described how his former protégé had been very confident in himself, which made it difficult to “change anything when two players like (Carlos) Alcaraz and Sinner had overtaken him and you had to try something new.”

This was also due to the fact that the Russian was already 28 years old and had been doing certain things throughout his entire career.

“Difficult situation” when Simon took over

At the end of 2024, they parted ways. When Simon asked the Russian how he could have convinced him, Medvedev replied: “You tried very hard, there was nothing more you could have done.”

The situation was doomed from the start, because at Medvedev’s request, Simon joined the existing team led by the actual coach, Gilles Cervara. “You have to understand that Daniil contacted me without telling Gilles,” explained the 40-year-old, adding: “It was a difficult situation for Gilles.”

Decision on Russian athletes

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Decision on Russian athletes

The neutral status of Russian judokas has been lifted. Starting Friday, their own symbols will once again be visible in judo.

Russian judokas will once again be allowed to compete under their national flag in international competitions and will also hear their national anthem. This was announced by the International Judo Federation (IJF) on Thursday. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 had resulted in the imposition of neutral status. This has now been lifted, even though Russia’s war of aggression continues unabated. Belarus had already been reintegrated into judo. The IJF Executive Committee has decided that Russian athletes will “compete again under their national flag with anthem and insignia” starting at the 2025 Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi, which begins on Friday, according to a press release. The Russian federation welcomed “this historic decision” and “thanked the IJF for this long-awaited, fair, and courageous decision,” said its president, Sergei Soloveychik.

IPC caused a stir

Most recently, a decision by the General Assembly of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) caused a stir when it lifted the suspension of Russia and Belarus.

Athletes from both countries would thus have been allowed to compete under their own flags at the Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, but it was no longer possible to qualify through the relevant sports federations.

Which matches are in contention for the World Cup opening game

Jeffrey Gooding
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Which matches are in contention for the World Cup opening game

Since Tuesday, not only have the four pots for the World Cup draw been decided, but also some details for the first days of the tournament. Eleven teams can dream of playing in the opening game—but not Germany.

Mexico has known for a long time. The southernmost of the three host countries will play the World Cup opening match on Thursday, June 11, 2026. FIFA also decided on the historic venue, the famous Aztec Stadium in Mexico City, some time ago. But who will be the opponent?

That will not be decided until December 5, when the twelve groups of the 48-team tournament will be drawn at 6 p.m. On Tuesday, however, FIFA announced a few more details, including a predefined pattern according to which the teams from pots 2, 3, and 4 will be distributed among the positions in the individual groups.

Since then, it has been clear that Mexico will start against a team from the third pot. And because Panama, as a fellow member of the CONCACAF association, cannot end up in the same group as El Tri, there are only eleven opponents left in contention for the opening game: Norway, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.

Germany will start on June 13 at the earliest

The USA, head of Group D, also knows for sure that it will start against one of these eleven nations on Friday, June 12, in Los Angeles. Canada, seeded in Group B, will start on the same day against a team from Pot 4, in which six participants will only be determined after the play-offs in March. The remaining six teams are the underdogs Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, and New Zealand.

Because no other matches are scheduled for the second day of the tournament and only Mexico’s opening match and the other match in Group A (in Guadalajara) are scheduled for the first day, Germany will not enter the tournament until June 13 at the earliest. To do so, the DFB team would have to be drawn into Group C. On June 17, the last four of the 48 teams will play their first matches.

After the draw, all teams will know their group opponents (or pot 4 placeholders) and thus also their venues. However, FIFA will not present the exact schedule with all kick-off times until a day later.

Expensive World Cup tickets? No problem! FIFA has already sold two million tickets

Phil Laffertey
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Expensive World Cup tickets? No problem! FIFA has already sold two million tickets

Next year’s World Cup is already casting its shadow. Although it is not yet clear who will play against whom, interest in tickets is immense: according to FIFA, around two million tickets have already been sold.

There is still a good six months to go before the opening match of the World Cup in Mexico, Canada, and the USA. However, this does not diminish the fans’ enthusiasm. On Wednesday, FIFA announced that almost two million tickets have already been sold. The ticket holders do not even know which games they will be able to see, as the draw for the World Cup groups, with Germany in pot 1 of the seeded national teams, will not take place until Friday, December 5, in Washington. After the draw and the publication of the match schedule the following day, it will be possible for the first time to purchase individual tickets for specific matches and teams in the group stage. Unsurprisingly, demand is highest in the three host countries. Outside the US, Canada, and Mexico, there is also particularly high interest in visiting England, Germany, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Argentina, and France.

Expensive tickets? Apparently not a problem

There have already been two ticket sales phases. The first phase, in which only holders of a FIFA sponsor’s credit card could apply, took place from September 10 to 19. More than one million tickets were sold to fans from 212 countries. At that point, most of the participants had not even been determined yet. FIFA responded to the high demand by raising prices, which caused some anger. The second phase then took place from October 27 to 31.

And despite the increased prices, it was apparently a complete success. “Congratulations to everyone who has already secured tickets. Everyone else will have another chance on Thursday, December 11, a few days after the final draw in Washington, D.C.,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

From December 11 (5 p.m. CET) to January 13, 2026, interested parties can register on the FIFA website to purchase tickets during a third sales phase. The principle of “first come, first served” does not apply, as the time of registration will have no influence on the random draw and one’s chances of success.

A FIFA ID is required. This is a unique identifier assigned to each person who wishes to use FIFA services. According to the world governing body, this can be created at any time, regardless of whether sales phases are open or closed. A maximum of four tickets per game and a total of 40 tickets for the entire tournament can be purchased per household.

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