Heretics took a 1-0 quarterfinal lead on July 9 as EWC 2026 unfolded under France-shaped rules allowing licensed crypto sponsorships on esports jerseys while restricting betting-style broadcast integrations.
Team Heretics moved within one map of eliminating BBL Esports at the Esports World Cup 2026 after a 16-14 win on Breeze gave it a 1-0 lead in the quarterfinal best-of-three on July 9, 2026. BBL needed to win Lotus to force a deciding third map and avoid exiting the tournament. The result extended a recent edge for Heretics over BBL after Heretics also won their meeting in VCT EMEA Stage 1 earlier this year. The match took place during the Esports World Cup 2026 VALORANT event, held in Paris from July 2 to 12 with 16 teams and a reported $75 million total prize pool. The tournament also highlighted a regulatory opening for crypto marketing in esports. Under rules shaped by France’s framework, licensed cryptocurrency firms can sponsor teams and place branding on jerseys or secure naming rights, but in-game betting prompts and token-gated access schemes in broadcasts are not permitted. Heretics also reflects that overlap through its TH fan token on Chiliz, which was trading around $0.03.