Global Gaming League brings your 00s nostalgia playlist to the esports stage as T-Pain and NE-YO prepare for a competitive showdown

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 06/08/2025

Competitive gaming is receiving a celebrity makeover thanks to the Global Gaming League.

The Global Gaming League’s inaugural season, SZN Zero, will blend celebrity culture, the music industry, and gaming in front of a live audience. 

T-Pain to face off against NE-YO in Tekken

Promising a showdown of the ages, your 00s nostalgia playlist is entering the world of competitive gaming with a bang. 

The lyracist behind “apple bottom jeans” eloquence (T-Pain) and the man whose hat never sat straight (NE-YO) will face off as captains of two gaming teams. They will battle in a game of Tekken.

Rivalry is already budding between the two music legends, promising a thrilling match:

“Honestly, I was trying to connect with T-Pain to maybe be part of his team but when he kept blowing me off and then I saw that video of him talking about my lips, I decided the only way to get his attention would be to call him out. Now, we’ll see just how good he really is – or isn’t – when we go head to head.”

Their Tekken game will feature in the Global Gaming League’s opening event, beginning August 23rd.

What is the Global Gaming League?

The Global Gaming League is an event aiming to marry the worlds of esports and pop culture in a new, exciting way. Popular gaming talent will join forces with emerging and popular celebrities from the music industry, social media platforms, and mainstream entertainment. 

Additionally, gamers can sign up to be involved on the Global Gaming League website.

So far, the event has established partnerships with several major game publishers. These include Bandai Namco, Capcom, Activision Blizzard, EA, Tetris, and Ubisoft. 

As a result of these diverse partnerships, a broad range of game titles will be included in the event. These include Tekken, Street Fighter, Call of Duty, and Rocket League. 

Adding to the event’s star quality, prominent music artists will be performing halftime shows. 

Integrating popular culture and a diverse range of participants is crucial to the event achieving its goals. Clinton Sparks, the founder and CEO of the Global Gaming League, explains: 

“With SZN Zero, we will introduce an authentic and relatable form of entertaining competition that will converge music, fashion, celebrity, and culture bringing the biggest form of entertainment in the world – video gaming – to the masses.” 

In the words of the Global Gaming Series campaign, “everybody games.” 

Now, more people than ever before will be drawn to watch competitive gaming – together. 

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Hannah is a journalist specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for outlets such as Dot Esports, Esports Insider, and of course ENUK, she has developed a love for wider esports, Apex Legends, and advocating for women's esports initiatives. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ALGS LANs, ESI London, EGX, and watch parties.

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