Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Riyadh’s Gamers8 festival gets bigger, better and bolder

The world’s largest esports and gaming festival comes to Riyadh this summer for the second time, with a world-record prize pool of $30 million.
Kicking off on July 6 under the title “Gamers8: The Land of Heroes,” the eight-week event will feature an array of esports competition, live music by renowned artists, shows, community gaming and education platforms, and secondary activities.

Taking place at the purpose-built venue in Riyadh Boulevard City, the event is looking to become the target destination this summer for gamers and entertainment seekers alike, according to chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation Prince Faisal bin Bandar.

Prince Faisal said: “The Land of Heroes is the place for world-class esports champions and gaming universe lovers. It is the ultimate occasion where you can compete for glory and become a hero walking among the worlds of your chosen story.

“Showcasing the most popular titles on the planet will be amplified even further this summer. To be frank, when we mean bigger and better this summer, we truly mean it. We cannot wait to reveal what we have in store for ‘Gamers8: The Land of Heroes.’”

Following the success of last year’s inaugural festival, which saw 1.4 million visits, the second edition doubles the grand prize pool of $15 million.

In 2022, gaming leagues from across the globe battled in top five titles, including Rocket League, Fortnite, Dota 2 Riyadh Masters, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, and PUBG Mobile.

It witnessed the participation of 391 top players from 61 countries and 113 international teams.

While the 2023 entertainment calendar has yet to be released, it promises bigger and better elite competitions, unlocking new challenges and experiences every week.

Paralleling last year’s agenda, Gamers8 will conclude with the Next World Forum, the first-of-its-kind esports and gaming platform. This will bring together industry leaders, global players, and investors from all over the world to engage in a sequence of panel discussions, workshops and activations. The forum hones in on the future of the industry.

Gamers8 is an initiative established under the Saudi Esports Federation that seeks to build an infrastructure around the gaming industry, create communities and ecosystems around esport, provide viable jobs for local creatives, and position the Kingdom as a global esports hub.

With more than 23.5 million Saudis considering themselves gamers, the esports festival hopes to create an avenue where people not only enjoy the games, but also forge a career path through their passion, Prince Faisal told Arab News in an exclusive interview last year.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
×