Heroic – one of the world’s best CS:GO-teams - is one of the 24 teams participating in the global esports tournament PGL Major Stockholm. This will be the first major tournament with physical attendance following the corona pandemic, and the Heroic players will compete against the very best for the coveted first place. The prize pool is 2 million USD, the largest ever, and around 17.000 spectators will be following the tournament live at the arena in Stockholm.
This is a unique tournament that the global esports community has been looking forward to for a long time. For the first time in two years, these teams are playing in person which gives the event a different dynamic, atmosphere and level of excitement than an all-digital event.
“I have big expectations, and we as a team, have prepared for this both physically and mentally,” says Joachim Haraldsen, founder of Omaken Sports and CEO of Heroic.
esports at the top-level, demands both concentration and mental capacity because of the long and demanding tournaments. There has been a growing amount of attention around the physical and mental health aspects in esports in recent years.
“During the game, the athletes must make rapid and calculated decisions, which demands a sharpened brain. We haven’t become the best in the world by just sitting in front of the screen. Instead, we must think holistically about physical exercise, diet, sleep, and social life,” says Haraldsen.
Looking to develop a unique krill product for esport athletes
Heroic has joined forces with Aker BioMarine, a global biotech innovator that produces omega-3 supplements based on krill. In addition to a healthy diet, the athletes have joined a program where they take krill oil which contributes to a healthy brain.
“Aker BioMarine is an exciting company that has invested heavily in science and R&D and has ambitions of improving public health without compromising the planet. This fits well with our mindset about a healthy balance when developing top-level athletes”, says Haraldsen.
Matts Johansen, CEO at Aker BioMarine, says that the company has been looking to enter the esports industry for a long time.
“The esports industry has experienced massive growth in recent years and is an exciting domain for us to enter into. Hundreds of millions of viewers stream various esports events every year, and the interest is enormous. Heroic represents a new and unique target group with solid preferences, especially when it comes to finding their entertainment and buying their products. To reach this target group, we must think and act differently and choose the rights partners," says Johansen. Johansen sees a lot of potential in the cooperation with Heroic.
“For us, this is a fantastic match. esports requires a lot of mental capacity, and we have identified an opportunity to communicate the importance of a healthy lifestyle, both mentally and physically, for this target group. We know that omega-3 from krill is important for a strong and healthy brain. We look forward to focusing on this together with Heroic and investigating the possibility of developing a new and unique product,” says Johansen.
Omega-3, such as krill oil, is essential for brain health. In fact, krill oil contains important essential fatty acids (EPA & DHA) that are important for brain function and structure. Since the body does not produce a sufficient amount of omega-3 by itself, it must be obtained through the diet. And to maintain good brain function, we need to ensure that we are getting enough omega-3 throughout our life span.
For more information, contact:
Marte Dalsegg
Director of Communications
Tel: +47 934 33 087
email: marte.dalsegg@akerbiomarine.com
About Aker BioMarine
Aker BioMarine is a biotech innovator and Antarctic krill-harvesting company dedicated to improving human and planetary health. Listed on Oslo Stock Exchange, the company develops krill-based ingredients for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical (Superba®), aquaculture (QRILL®Aqua), and animal feed applications (QRILL®Pet), including INVI™, a highly concentrated protein isolate, and LYSOVETA™, a targeted transporter of EPA and DHA from krill. Aker BioMarine’s fully transparent value chain stretches from sustainable krill harvesting in pristine Antarctic waters through its Montevideo logistics hub, Houston production plant, and to customers around the world. The company’s strong focus on sustainability inspired the launch of AION by Aker BioMarine, a circularity company dedicated to helping companies to recycle and reuse waste. For further information, go to www.akerbiomarine.com.
About Joachim Haraldsen and Heroic
Joachim Haraldsen has been involved in gaming for 18 years.
He is better known as Noobwork – one of Norway’s biggest YouTubers, with nearly 200.000 subscribers. In February, his lifelong dream came true when Omaken Sports acquired Heroic – one of the world’s highest-ranked Counter-Strike teams.
He managed to raise NOK 150 million in connection with the acquisition, and his current goal is to build an e-sports empire based in Oslo. Haraldsen looks to build a gaming academy where youth can learn how to become professional e-sports athletes.