Category Archives: Press Releases

Rocket League Final during Dutch Media Week in Beeld & Geluid: NXT Wins €2500

HILVERSUM, 09-10-'23 - During the Xperience Days of Dutch Media Week there was exciting esports action in Beeld & Geluid, with the Rocket League Finale as the highlight. In an exciting competition co-sponsored by Alienware and Emma Sleep, the best gamers competed for the coveted title and a prize pool of €5000.

The event, which took place at the iconic Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision in Hilversum, attracted a large number of enthusiastic esports fans, local gamers and businesses. The Rocket League Finale was an excellent showcase of the fast-growing world of esports in the Netherlands. 16 teams with 48 gamers had qualified for the finals after months of nationwide qualifying at Go!Gaming, H20 Esports campus - Rabo Esports Stadium Amsterdam and the special KPN E-Truck.

NXT, the winning team of the Rocket League Final, put on an impressive performance on the beautifully decorated stage in the middle of Sound & Vision. Their teamwork, strategic approach and skills led to the win and the grand prize of €2500, several Alienware products and 3 delicious Emma Sleep pillows. The audience cheered NXT as they accepted the coveted trophy.

Alienware, a leading brand in gaming hardware, and Emma Sleep, an innovative player in sleep comfort, played an important role in organizing the Rocket League Finals. Thanks to their support, the event was able to take place, and during the day, the players were able to prepare in the best possible way in the Emma Recharge station, a specially equipped space to relax and rest before the games.

"It's great to see how esports lives and that we were able to link media with esports and gaming in Hilversum during the Xperience Days," said Sten Vos, Dutch Media Week organizer. "This event was a fantastic addition and a proof of the power of cooperation between H20 and Dutch Media Week."

The Rocket League Finale during Dutch Media Week was broadcast live online on Twitch and watched by tens of thousands of people, it was an unforgettable experience for participants and spectators alike.

"The event was successful, we are very happy with that and even more important to us was the fact that throughout the day, in addition to the gaming competitions, there were lectures by speakers from different branches of the gaming industry. Educators, marketers, coaches, a lot was covered and this shows the diversity of the industry. "All this promotes the growth of the esports and gaming industry, we are very happy about that," said Matthijs Vink, founder of H20 Esports campus - Rabo Esports Stadium Amsterdam and Go!Gaming.

H20 Game Festival Powered by VIL Lawyers

Last week of the vacations at H20 in the theme of the H20 Game Festival Powered by VIL Lawyers!

From Monday, August 22 to Sunday, August 28, H20 Esports Campus will be the scene of the first H20 Game Festival Powered by VIL Lawyers for a week. Apart from the gaming festival, where more than 120 visitors can use the various setups at the same time, various tournaments will be organized, there is a gaming retro expo with PCs from the 70s and 80s, and visitors can sign up for skill sessions. The festival is sponsored by VIL Advocaten, the Municipality of Purmerend and is also part of the PurVak.

Ticket holders of the festival can take advantage of all the gaming opportunities scattered around campus for 3 hours. They can also watch tournaments in various esports such as Fortnite, Super Smash Bros Ultimate and FIFA 22 from the stands, or participate in them themselves. Each tournament also has a prize pool of no less than 1,000! In addition, they can visit a gaming museum or, for a small additional fee, attend various workshops by Twaanlab, Cubefields, Faber, InformAR or Captain VR. The workshops include: Make your first computer game, Create your own T-shirt design, Discover the world of VR & AR, Create your own Minecraft world & upgrade your streaming skills! With these workshops, young people can learn to discover their digitalent.

"Much of what happens at our campus has to do with innovation, education and development, with a big nod to esports and gaming. We have a close relationship with the region and through partners such as the Municipality of Purmerend and VIL Advocaten we can really put the campus in the shop window for once. This provides an opportunity in an accessible way to offer access to anyone who is interested to come and visit. The best way to end the summer!" Thus says CEO of H20 Martijn van der Craats.

Mr. René Otto is a lawyer and chairman of the industry team gaming at namesake Van Iersel Luchtman Advocaten. "As the only law firm in the Netherlands with a full-service team specialized in games and esports, we find it very important and fun to contribute to the further development of this wonderful industry in the Netherlands. We are therefore very proud to join forces with H20. With the H20 VIL Esports & Gaming Festival we believe not only to bring games & esports to a higher level, but also to contribute to the accessibility of games & esports to a wider group of players."  

Tickets can be purchased through the website www.h20.gg/festival and at the door before or during the entire festival. For young people from Purmerend, the festival is free, registration is required. For the full program check the website.

H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam establishes partnership with renowned audio manufacturer Shure

H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam establishes partnership with renowned audio manufacturer Shure

H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam announces a partnership with Shure to provide an outstanding audio experience for H20's guests and customers. Shure products are used worldwide by some of the best content creators, streamers, gamers and in the best podcasts. H20 will receive Shure MV7 microphones and the QLX-D Digital Wireless System as part of the partnership.

"We are excited to partner with H20 to support a new generation of gamers and streamers. The professional gaming industry is a priority for us and we want to nurture it not only by providing excellent gear, but also by establishing partnerships that facilitate the development of esports," said Christian Husingen, Associate Director, Consumer Audio at Shure. "H20 Esports Campus is a unique place where tech talent can come together, learn from each other and grow and we are proud to be an active part of it."

With this partnership, members and visitors of H20 will have access to Shure equipment in the different rooms of H20. Shure products will provide impeccable audio at events, workshops and post-game interviews, allowing everyone to get the most out of their gaming and streaming experience.

"The cooperation with Shure enables us to offer the necessary extra quality to our guests and clients of the Esports Campus. For streaming, stage presentations as well as broadcasting, Shure's products allow us to take the next step in facilitating a top production for esports productions, gaming related events as well as conferences in our Rabo Esports Stadium," said Matthijs Vink, Co-Founder and CCO of H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam.

Mastering the game

H20 has chosen the dynamic MV7 Podcast microphone from Shure. The MV7 is a premium product for content creators because of its seamless integration into gaming, streaming and podcast setups. The MV7 has both USB and XLR connectivity, which can be used individually or simultaneously. In addition, the partnership also provides H20 with the QLX-D digital wireless system, which comes into its own at major events organised at H20.

Shure's partnership with H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam highlights its commitment to esports by bringing the best audio experience to today's generation of gamers and content creators.

Streamers in action for Amref Flying Doctors in 24-hour stream at H20 Esports Campus

More than fifteen streamers take action during Amref Twitch livestream for clean (drinking) water in East Africa

On 18 and 19 February, over fifteen well-known Twitch streamers will hold a 24-hour live stream marathon to raise as much money as possible for clean (drinking) water and better healthcare in Africa. The 'Streamers in Action' will gather on the H20 Esports Campus in Purmerend to stream and do assignments to raise donations for Amref Flying Doctors, the largest African health organisation. The livestream takes place on the video site Twitch and is hosted by radio DJ and caster Daniël Lippens.

Judith Oude Sogtoen, Director Fundraising, Partnerships & Corporate Communications at Amref Flying Doctors: "We looked for new ways to engage and activate a younger audience. This is one of the first times in the Netherlands that a streaming marathon is organised on such a scale for a charity. We are overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the streamers who want to dedicate themselves to Amref and together with their followers contribute to improving water supplies and healthcare in East Africa."

Clean water, good hygiene

Every human being, everywhere in the world, has the right to clean drinking water. Unfortunately, this is not the case in several countries in East Africa. The figures are shocking: at the moment, about 400 million people have no clean drinking water, which is 2 out of 5 people. Dirty drinking water causes diseases such as cholera, typhoid and dysentery. More people die from polluted water than from a natural disaster or conflict. On top of that, many of them do not have safe toilets, showers and sinks. This has major consequences: diarrhoea is the main cause of child mortality here. Every year, 430,000 children die as a result of diarrhoea. That is 1,200 children a day. The proceeds of the streaming marathon contribute to the realisation of water and toilet facilities and the training of care workers.

Streamers in action at H20 Esports Campus

Nouxy, Saar, Joost and ShannaNinaNL, among others, are committed to Amref Flying Doctors on the H20 Esports Campus and other well-known guests are also welcomed. They stream on location from their personal channels and all these channels are overseen by an Amref main channel presented by caster Daniël Lippens. During the livestream, several challenges are organised, ranging from playing a video game to outdoor activities for which IRL (In Real Life) backpacks are used. These backpacks make it possible for a streamer to continue the livestream outside via an internet connection.

Daniël Lippens is looking forward to this special livestream, "When I was asked to participate, I did not have to think twice. It is a wonderful initiative and we will try to raise as much money as possible. With the donations Amref can provide villages in East Africa with water by constructing wells or train the inhabitants to be care providers, so that they can improve the quality of care and also safety for these people."

Start of the live stream

Streamers in Action for Amref will be held on 18 and 19 February in the H20 Esports Campus in Purmerend. The stream will be kicked off on Friday at 20:00 on Twitch. The expectation is that the final amount will be announced on Saturday around 20:00.

More information on Streamers in Action for Amref'. and the participating streamers can be found on the official website: https://www.streamersinactie.en/. Also keep the Instagram channel of Amref Flying Doctors for updates.

 

Hado, the sport of the future, comes to H20 Esports Campus in Purmerend

HADO, the new sport of the Netherlands, is coming to the H20 Esports Campus in Purmerend. HADO is the first sport in the world that combines traditional sport with gaming through Augmented Reality (AR).
The sport is immensely popular in more than 35 countries worldwide and is already played by millions of people in Japan, the United States, Germany, France and Spain, among others. HADO now sets foot on Dutch soil and is ready to be the first AR sport to conquer the Dutch market. From early December 2021 HADO can be played, in combination with various activities, in the VR / AR centre of H20 that will be opened soon. Do you want to become one of the first HADO masters of the Netherlands? Then come and join us at H20, we are looking for talented players who want to start training right away!

Sport of the future

HADO was conceived in 2014 by Japanese-born Hiroshi Fukuda. As a child, he dreamed of throwing "hadoken" (powerful energy balls) like his favourite character Ryu from the game Street Fighter and defeating opponents. With HADO, Hiroshi realised his dream. In a short time HADO has become the international sport of the future. Professional competitions are organised worldwide, including an annual European Cup and the World Cup in Tokyo. The unique and accessible concept offers players a perfect mix of sport, game and strategy. HADO uses revolutionary technologies to combine movement with gaming elements. This makes HADO a pioneer in the field of recreational and professional sport.

H20 Virtual & Augmented Sports

Dirk Tuip, founder at H20: "Right at the start of H20 we wanted to do something with VR/AR gaming and esports. We set this in motion with the help of our partner HP/Omen. However, this often remained a piece of entertainment, whereas we give gaming and the technology that drives it more substance. We want to offer a physical experience that you can't have at home, preferably with several people at the same time. And we love competition. HADO has all these elements!"
Tuip continues: "HADO is truly the sport of the future. HADO has many characteristics of gaming, new technology and competition, which makes it a perfect fit for our campus. Besides that, we, as former handball players, found it extra cool that HADO is like a 3.0 version of handball. HADO will be incorporated into our gaming and esports activities as part of our 'explore esports' programmes. Also, real fanatics can train and even compete in events and tournaments."

Ecosystem

Michiel Verhage, co-founder of HADO Netherlands: "Michael Reibestein and I both have a passion for sports, gaming and technology. Our goal is to encourage a healthy lifestyle by combining sports and gaming with technology to stimulate the youth to keep moving. We want to realise this with HADO! After our first HADO game we were hooked and started a partnership with meleap inc., the creator of HADO, to make HADO big in the Benelux. We are doing this by building an ecosystem around this new sport by rolling out courses throughout the country with the help of licence holders, organising (inter)national competitions and hosting events."

Collaboration H20

The cooperation between HADO and H20 is the basis for the introduction of HADO as a sport in the Netherlands. Both parties have the intention to make H20 the HADO centre of the Netherlands where national tournaments and competitions will take place with the ultimate goal to organise the European Cup in the Netherlands. Besides that, H20 sees a lot of possibilities to exploit a HADO track successfully, but they also want to organise events in the Rabo Esports Stadium. This way HADO and H20 can show in a spectacular way what is possible with HADO.
Come and see for yourself! Game on!

Pupils rebuild 7 Children's Hospitals of Oranje in Minecraft as part of RTL Project Smile

H20 Esports Campus is going to rebuild seven Children's Hospitals of Oranje online, together with its partners. This happens within the framework of RTL Project Smile, in which various programs, channels and partners of RTL donate money to the Foundation Children's Hospitals of Orange. RTL Project Smile starts on Monday 13 December and ends on Friday 17 December.
This Monday we will start to rebuild the seven children's hospitals in Minecraft on an actual scale. Of course, we will not do this alone. We are voluntarily aided by children, pupils and students who, together with the expertise of H20, will achieve a fantastic result.
We are still looking for experienced Minecraft builders who can help us bring this project to a successful conclusion. These youngsters can register at www.minecrafthospitalheroes.com to register for the Minecraft Hospital Heroes. We need a lot of builders, so there is always a place available.

Minecraft Hospital Heroes

The Minecraft Hospital Heroes consist of a number of partners who are active within the H20 Esports Campus, such as Minecraft architect and master builder Thomas Bosch. Thomas has his own company called Cubefields and, just like last year, he is taking on the coordination of the construction.
"This year we are going a step further, because we are now also going to recreate the inside of the children's hospitals. This will make it possible for children to have a look inside before their stay in the hospital. But the children staying in the children's hospital can also participate in building and continue to build in order to make their stay more pleasant. Again, we hope that many schoolchildren and students will help us to achieve our goal of building all children's hospitals in the Netherlands," said Thomas Bosch.
During the challenge, Bosch will lead the Minecraft construction team of the Minecraft Hospital Heroes via the online platform Discord.
In addition, every day this week free Minecraft workshops will be given by Toine Rohner of Twaanlab from 17.00 to 17.30 hrs. Miranda Huybers will also help to build the children's hospitals with her esports team Team Wall and several influencers. Faber Audiovisuals will also contribute to the livestream and video production.
Donations are welcome per hospital, but it is also possible to donate money to the entire Project Smile.

Successful edition

It is not the first time that H20 Esports Campus is dedicated to the Minecraft Hospital Heroes. During the Minecraft Hospital Heroes 2020, 200 pupils rebuilt dozens of Dutch hospitals on an actual scale in the video game Minecraft. The event ultimately raised more than 20,000 euros for charities and staff associations, including the Dijklander Hospital in Purmerend.
Dirk Tuip, H20-CEO: "The idea of doing something for RTL Project Smile came from the contacts we made last year, and after that the link to building the children's hospitals in Minecraft was quickly made."
By rebuilding the hospitals, H20 can offer students an educational challenge that will allow them to go into the Christmas holidays with the experience of having built real hospitals to scale together with others. "We hope that schools and teachers will help spread the word about this action among their students so that we can show how gaming can contribute to skills such as creativity, collaboration and communication and, of course, tech," Tuip said.
Those who are not building can of course follow the construction live at www.minecrafthospitalheroes.com!

Go!Gaming opens first esports gaming hall in Pathé Schouwburgplein in Rotterdam

On Friday 17 December Go!Gaming opens its first game hall location in Pathé Schouwburgplein in Rotterdam. From Minecraft to Fortnite and from Rocket League to Sim Racing; at over 40 game spots, fans can immerse themselves in the gaming world and compete with friends or other gamers. The unique gaming location is equipped with the best gear and Go!Gaming will also organise workshops, events and training sessions to help gamers improve their skills and act as a meeting place.

Game arcade in Pathe cinema in Rotterdam

Pathé Rotterdam Schouwburgplein is the very first cinema to be expanded with a Go!Gaming location. The location is situated within the Pathé foyer and is accessible through the entrance of the cinema. The Go!Gaming location opens with over 40 gaming spaces, of which 23 spaces are equipped with state of the art PCs with the best 3080RTX video cards, Playseat Gaming Chairs, Philips Hue Game Light and HyperX peripherals, 10 racing seats with PlayseatⓇ Raceseats as well as Nintendo Switches and multiple Playstations 5. The focus is on playing competitive games like Fortnite and League of Legends and racing games like The Crew 2, Forza Horizon 5 and Sim Racing.

Matthijs Vink, Board Member of Go!Gaming and co-founder of H20 Esports Campus: "We can finally open! For months we have worked very hard with both companies on Go!Gaming. For H20 Go!Gaming is the ideal springboard to gaming and esports talent throughout the Netherlands. We hope to reach everyone with a passion for gaming in the major cities where Pathé cinemas are located. And to enthuse them to come to the H20 Campus to develop themselves further. Above all, we want to make gaming and esports accessible to a broad target group by offering a unique experience at the Go!Gaming locations."

Bram van den Broek, Director of Go!Gaming and Operational Director of Pathé: "We are very proud to announce that the first Go!Gaming location will be opened at Pathé Schouwburgplein. We are always looking for the best way to serve our target groups. The popularity of gaming and esports is still growing, and where gaming used to be done at home and alone, nowadays we see gaming becoming more of a collective activity at unique locations. Therefore Go!Gaming is the perfect complement to our cinemas as the place where people can enjoy the best forms of entertainment together."

Play, Battle, Train

Go!Gaming focuses mainly on gamers between the ages of 15 and 30, but of course all gamers are welcome. From fanatic gamers who play several times a week and competitive gamers who play at a high level, to casual gamers who mainly play to relax; at Go!Gaming they can all play to their heart's content and compete online with their friends, family, colleagues or strangers. The competitive gamers can also actively improve their skills during one of the many workshops and training sessions hosted by the best professional gamers via H20 Esports Campus. Go!Gaming will also organise other events such as viewing parties, children's parties, gaming experiences and tournaments.

Tickets and reservations

At the Go!Gaming locations, a specially trained team of Gaming Hosts is on hand to guide gamers, provide explanations and further enthuse interested parties about the cool world of gaming. From 5 euros per hour it is possible to play at Go!Gaming. From 6 December it is possible to reserve gaming time online at gogaming.gg!
About Go!Gaming
Go!Gaming is a cooperation between Pathé and H20 Esports Campus and brings gamers, esports players and Pathé visitors together to discover the fun and excitement of gaming. Experience, relaxation, gaming together and self-development are central to this.

H20 Esports Campus to cooperate with aimtrainer KovaaK 2.0

The Meta, the developer of the highly successful aim training tool KovaaK 2.0 enters into a partnership with H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam, Europe's largest esports academy. This partnership aims to offer the best training tools to visitors, coaches and young talents of H20.
As part of the partnership with The Meta, H20 will have full access to the same high-quality training tools that other professional esports players and streamers use to compete. It will now be possible to take personalised aim training sessions at H20.
In addition, H20 will also have access to the data of KovaaK's users for overarching academic purposes such as data science, statistics and other data-driven disciplines.
Cody Dragon of The Meta said the following about the partnership: "What H20 Esports Campus is building with their state-of-the-art training facilities is nothing short of revolutionary. Their vision for the world of personal accelerated learning environments in esports should become the standard for the entire esports world. H20 delivers the best player experience and we can be nothing less than proud to support this initiative with the most powerful aim training software in the world."

Training tools

The H20 Esports Campus is a platform for educating the next generation of esports athletes through gaming, esports and creative tech. The Rabo Esports stadium is the first and largest permanent esports event venue in the Benelux and aims to become the largest esports hub in Europe. The campus includes a 10,000 m2 Esports gaming arena, workplaces and offices for startups and companies in Gaming, Esports and Creative technology.
Co-founder and CCO of H20, Matthijs Vink, is proud of the partnership with KovaaK 2.0: "We strive to be the best facility in Europe for esports talents and professionals. Therefore, we as H20 are always looking for the best partners to grow in every facet of our work. With the partnership with KovaaK's we are adding a fantastic tool for everyone to improve their skills and become better at a crucial part of esports and gaming, namely aiming and shooting. We look forward to setting up new activities and training sessions for our visitors!"

OMEN extends partnership with H20 Esports Campus

OMEN and H20 Esports Campus join forces again with an extension of the current cooperation. OMEN has been a crucial partner of H20 Esports Campus since its inception. Our partner provides the necessary hardware with which we can create a real game and esports experience for visitors of the OMEN Gaming Club.

OMEN provides the gaming gear that can be found in the OMEN Gaming Club. This is where avid gamers come together to game, train and most importantly, have fun. Here they play the games League of Legends, Rocket League and Roblox, among others. Besides gaming with friends or family, you can also choose to book a workshop or coaching session. In these sessions, the details and important skills that you need to make it further in the world of esports are discussed. The right equipment is of great importance here!

OMEN livestream every month

Since May this year, we also have the H20 Streaming Studio, located on the H20 Esports Campus. Every month a livestream can be admired here in which OMEN plays the leading part. In this OMEN livestream several well-known streamers play a number of games and interaction with the viewers is really important. The livestream uses OMEN gaming gear and viewers can request information about the gear our streamers are using.
Sue Sue Au, Marketing Manager at OMEN said, "We are very excited about the partnership with H20, which is why we have decided to extend it with them. H20 is the largest eSports and Gaming stadium in the Netherlands, where gaming, education and tech come together. A true Gamers Hub, where OMEN fits in perfectly. We are looking forward to going full steam ahead; from broadcasting the biggest gaming finals, to the coolest events, the OMEN Gaming Club and meet ups with athletes and influencers!"
Matthijs Vink, co-founder H20 Esports Campus: "We are very pleased that the partnership with OMEN is extended. OMEN has believed in H20 since the beginning. H20 can finally welcome our gaming audience again in the OMEN Gaming Club or online via the OMEN livestreams on the H20-Twitch channel. We believe that with partners we can grow together and with OMEN we can give gamers a unique experience on location. We have many plans that can be realised through the extended partnership, so keep a close eye on us!"

Pathé and H20 join forces to invest heavily in gaming and esports with Go!Gaming

AMSTERDAM, 8 July 2021 - Pathé and H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam are joining forces to bring a completely new gaming concept to cinemas this autumn: Go!Gaming. Go!Gaming are game locations at Pathé where gamers, esports enthusiasts and Pathé visitors can play together using the best and latest game consoles and PCs. The first Go!Gaming location will open in the autumn at a Pathé branch that has yet to be announced.

 

Go!Gaming brings gamers, esports enthusiasts and Pathé visitors together to discover the fun and excitement of gaming. Experience, relaxation, gaming together and self-development are central to this. The concept will be launched this autumn, when the first location will also be announced.

Pathé and gaming

Bram van den Broek, Director Operations Pathé, and Matthijs Vink, co-founder of H20 Esports Campus, are the directors of Go!Gaming. Van den Broek: "Go!Gaming is the perfect addition to the cinemas of Pathé. It is important for Pathé to remain relevant for new generations and therefore we continue to innovate. The popularity of gaming and esports has been growing for years. In the past year, we have also noticed that people need entertainment more than ever before, but at the same time they also need interaction and social contact.

 

We have often organised successful small-scale gaming and esports events in our cinemas and since this summer we have launched Pathé Play, where visitors can play games on the big screen using their own console. By adding Go!Gaming to our cinemas, we can serve our younger target groups and gamers even better. With H20 Esports Campus we have found a partner who strives for the same top quality and customer experience and who has years of experience in building a professional Esports Tech Campus and Esports Stadium. Go!Gaming will make our cinemas even more the place to enjoy an evening or day out with friends and family."

H20 Esports Campus

H20 Esports Campus is the Dutch on- and offline platform where esports, gaming and creative tech come together, and where Dutch esports talent is trained and prepared for a future in creative tech. Matthijs Vink, co-founder H20 Esports Campus: "We are extremely proud that we are going to bring this new concept to the market together with market leader Pathé. After our launch at the end of 2019, we were hit hard by the corona crisis, but in spite of that we still managed to achieve considerable growth. Now it is time for the next step.

Through the cooperation with Pathé we can expand our activities from top esports players to a broader target group of gamers and introduce them to the H20 Esports Campus. Our goal is to create an environment where the right guidance and expertise is available so gamers can meet each other in an educational and responsible manner. If more professional esports players eventually roll out of that, that would be great."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHTzs6QbVmY

Launch Go!Gaming

In the coming weeks, the parties involved will work hard on the further interpretation and realisation of the concept. The exact details of Go!Gaming and the location will be announced this autumn, together with a festive launch. Visitors can keep an eye on the social media channels of Go!Gaming, Pathé and H20 Esports Campus. The links are on the website www.gogaming.gg .