The Gamers8: Land of the Heroes Festival, organized by the Saudi Esports Federation, is the world’s biggest esports event, with players of different games from across the globe gathering to compete and win huge prizes. The Festival seamlessly blends esports tournaments with live concerts, unfolding over several weeks and drawing unprecedented crowds. Reports indicate that over 1.4 million guests attended the 2022 event, and 132 million people watched it worldwide.
The 2023 Gamers8 Festival kicked off on 6 July 2023, boasting a staggering $45 million prize pool, three times larger than the inaugural event’s reward. The event will come to an end on August 31st with the Gamers8 Club Awards after several tournaments and concerts.
Moreover, the festival is taking place at the Boulevard Riyadh City in Saudi. The second edition of the Gamers8 festival expanded the number of game titles to 12 with FIFA and PUBG getting two different tournaments each. These tournaments include:
- July 6-9: Fortnite ($2 million)
- July 6-9: Tekken 7 ($1 million)
- July 6-19: FIFA 23 ($3 million)
- July 11-23: PUBG Mobile ($3.1 million)
- July 13-16: Rainbow Six Siege ($2 million)
- July 17-30: Dota 2 ($15 million)
- July 27-30: ESL R1 ($1 million)
- August 3-6: StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft II ($500,000 combined)
- August 10-13: Street Fighter 6 ($1 million)
- August 10-20: PUBG ($2 million)
- August 16-20: CS:GO ($1 million)
- August 24-27: Rocket League ($2 million)
Besides the ongoing Rocket League tournament, all other competitions have wrapped up, showcasing winners from various regions. The Gamers8 Festival has established its significance in the global esports landscape, providing both renowned and emerging esports teams and players a platform to showcase their talents. The FIFA 23 tournament consisted of the Club World Cup, Nations and World Cup respectively with much bigger prize pools than previous years for players.
Although the tournament is yet to conclude, it is already clear that the 2023 edition has been a success with more countries participating and viewers watching. Moreover, the inclusion of Starcraft and fighting games like TEKKEN and Street Fighter also added a good dimension to the Festival.
Milestone for Africa: Rise in FIFA rankings
As the world’s largest esports event, the festival draws talent from all over the world, including many gifted players from Africa, who have showcased their prowess on this grand stage. This year’s edition was especially meaningful for several African nations, with Morocco and South Africa, standing out as representatives of the continent in the FIFA 23 tournaments.
Morocco stunned other countries in Group B of the FIFAe Nations Cup finishing in top place above tournament favourites like France and Italy. The team went on to secure a top-eight finish, the highest ever for an African team. After the event, Morocco skyrocketed to sixth place on the FIFAe Nations rankings.
South Africa’s Julio Bianchi and Kaylan Moodley also secured a top-eight finish in the FIFAe Club World Cup, representing Goliath Gaming. Asides from the FIFA events, South Africa’s Jahbi Mabuza was invited to compete in Street Fighter.
Gamers8: The Launch of the Afro-Arab Esports League
Furthermore, the 2023 edition of the Gamers8 Festival saw the launch of the Afro-Arab Esports League. The Afro-Arab League featured 25-member teams with over 140 male and female players competing in VALORANT and football.
These countries include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, UAE, Tunisia, Senegal, Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, Cameroon, Mali, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Burkina Faso, Jordan, Lebanon, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, South Africa, Namibia, and Nigeria.
The Egyptian men’s team won the VALORANT championship while Jordan took the prize for eFootball. For the female category, Saudi Arabia won both eFootball and VALORANT. The Afro-Arab Esports League will be part of future Gamers8 Festivals and includes separate events for male and female competitors.
Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, and Chairman of the Arab Esports Federation, said: “The Afro-Arab Esports League is a testament to the growing importance of esports in both the African and Arab worlds and a key way to create space for cultural exchange and cooperation among the 25 participating countries.”
The introduction of the Afro-Arab Esports League is a monumental stride in the esports domain, bridging two culturally rich continents and amplifying the significance of competitive gaming. The success of this inaugural event, marked by the victories of Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, serves as a beacon for future editions and further cements the potential for cooperation and camaraderie among the participating nations.