Saudi eSports Federation, Qiddiya join forces for world’s biggest esports festival

The Saudi eSports Federation (SEF) and Qiddiya today announced their partnership ahead of the second edition of Gamers8, the biggest gaming and eSports festival worldwide. Qiddiya will be the ‘Nexus Partner’ for Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, organized by SEF, which runs for eight weeks this summer starting July 6 at Boulevard Riyadh City.

RIYADH, 4th JULY 2023: Qiddiya, founded on the pillars of entertainment, sports, and culture, is being built on the doorstep of Riyadh and when completed will be vibrant and livable, attracting visitors from all over the Kingdom and the international community. Qiddiya is set to become home to innovative and immersive gaming experiences offering its residents an opportunity to live in the global center of the gaming multiverse developed specifically for the gaming community.

During Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, which has a world record prize pool of $45 million, Qiddiya will provide exciting purpose-built immersive and interactive experiences. The festival concludes with the Next World Forum – a gaming and eSports symposium – bringing together sector leaders and experts from around the world who can experience various on-site activations.

Saudi eSports Federation CEO, Turki Al-Fawzan, commented "The Saudi eSports Federation is delighted to announce Qiddiya as our Nexus Partner for Gamers8: The Land of Heroes. The new entertainment landmark is sure to play a starring role in the sustained rise of gaming and eSports across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the years ahead. Given our shared vision for growing this increasingly vibrant and influential sector and providing new opportunities to all, we have absolute confidence that our partnership will be a resounding success and one that ensures the second edition of Gamers8 leaves behind a lasting legacy. We are excited to begin working with our partners and friends at Qiddiya and look forward to releasing further details in due course, including those surrounding our entertainment and immersive experiences plans."

Full details of the elite gaming titles taking place at Gamers8: The Land of Heroes this summer will be announced in due course. The entertainment extravaganza also offers live music concerts from international stars and a multitude of other attractions and activities. 

Excitement and momentum ahead of Gamers 8: The Land of Heroes reached new levels with the recently concluded Gamers Without Borders, the world’s largest charitable eSports event, which returned for the fourth consecutive year from April 10 and ran for six weeks. Hosted by SEF, the virtual event held five tournaments across four major gaming titles: StarCraft II, CS:GO (with separate men and women’s events), Rocket League, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. The winning teams and players from StarCraft II, Rocket League, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege advanced to the upcoming finals at Gamers8: The Land of Heroes.  

Players and teams that participated at GWB’s 2023 CS:GO, Rocket League, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege tournaments had the chance to compete for a $10 million charity prize pool. In addition to the donations through elite competitions, GWB also offered the chance for everyone to donate and make a difference by choosing a charity and a cause they intend to support through www.gamerswithoutborders.com.

Gamers8 is the world’s largest gaming and eSports festival and the destination for elite eSports champions and gaming universe lovers. It’s the ultimate place to compete for glory and become a hero walking among the worlds of your chosen story. Located in Riyadh at the heart of Saudi Arabia, Gamers8 spans a period of eight weeks from July to September 2023, with new challenges and experiences unlocked every week. Last year’s event saw 391 professional gamers representing more than 61 nationalities battle it out for a prize pool of $15 million. This year’s prize pool of over $45 million triples last year’s number and will host the elite of eSports in a purpose-built venue at Boulevard Riyadh City. The festival concludes with a gaming and eSports forum known as the ‘Next World Forum’ bringing together sector leaders and experts from across the world.

For all the news and updates, please follow the below handles:

• Website: https://gamers8.gg/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gamers8GG
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gamers8_EN 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gamers8GG/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCENNtCRTPTdH_IGXs42LuHQ
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gamers8_en/?hl=en
• Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/gamers8gg

The Saudi eSports Federation is the regulating body in charge of nurturing elite gaming athletes and developing the gaming community and industry in Saudi Arabia. The federation’s activities are categorized into two complementary streams. The first stream works to develop all levels of competitive gamers, starting with the grassroots community level and moving up to professional eSports athletes that can achieve global excellence. The second stream works to develop the entire gaming/eSports value chain by catalyzing the industry and enabling talent.  Since its establishment in late 2017, the federation has organized multiple world-class national and international tournaments and events, attracted investment from local private sector actors and worked with international developers on opportunities in the Saudi market. 

Qiddiya is set to become a vibrant, livable, entertainment, sports and cultural destination that is currently being developed on the doorstep of Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh. Its philosophy mirrors Saudi's Vision 2030 that seeks to build an ambitious nation with a vibrant society and thriving economy. Set amid the Kingdom’s stunning natural landscapes, the avant-garde giga project will include everything from family-friendly theme parks and sophisticated sports venues to elaborate concert halls and beautiful public spaces, all set within minutes of urban city centres offering places to live, work, and stay, and also to shop, dine and visit.