- Gamers8 Club Awards is a new rewards format to break down limitations, incentivize investment, and pave the way for unprecedented collaboration across the esports ecosystem
- Teams competing in two or more Gamers8 titles will receive points for their respective finishes and unlock additional performance-based awards and opportunities
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, June 12, 2023 -- Gamers8, the world's biggest gaming and esports festival, today announced that this year's edition will see the launch of the Gamers8 Club Awards. An innovative new rewards format that uses a points-based system to award esports clubs participating across multiple tournaments, the Gamers 8 Club Awards will unlock additional rewards depending on how successful clubs are throughout the eight-week festival.
As part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's ongoing mission to invest in the wider esports sector, the Gamers8 Club Awards will boost the Kingdom's effort to expand the realm of opportunities within esports for all. Breaking down limitations and incentivizing investment, this innovative format will pave the way for unprecedented collaboration between clubs, teams, organizers, and publishers.
Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, said: "This latest announcement illustrates our commitment to realize esports' full potential and provide development opportunities for all as the industry's evolution unfolds.
"As the world's elite esports champions return to Gamers8 to battle it out for glory and global supremacy, they do so knowing that this new concept will elevate competition, broaden gamers' horizons, and open up a whole new world of possibilities over the coming years. We are incredibly excited to finally share this exciting news and look forward to trialling this game-changing format in the summer."
To be eligible for Gamers8 Club Awards, organizations competing at this year's Gamers8 must participate in at least two competitions. Although some clubs will not be participating in multiple tournaments, the format will provide all esports clubs around the world with a glimpse into the future, showcasing that the time is now to begin preparing for a new era where teams can reap rewards like never before.
"Gamers8 Club Awards is an incredible opportunity for clubs to look at tournaments from a holistic view rather than an individual team view and play influential roles in the development of their clubs and the global esports sector," added Prince Faisal. "There is no better stage than the world's biggest gaming and esports festival to launch such a format, and we can't wait for July when all the action begins."
Gamers8 returns on July 6, 2023 under the theme 'Gamers8: The Land of Heroes' with a prize pool of over $45 million. Full details of all titles taking place will be announced in due course.
The Club Awards prize ceremony will be held at the end of the eight-week Gamers8 season at the Next World Forum – a gaming forum that will bring together sector leaders and experts from around the world. Available on live stream on both Gamers8 and Next World Forum Twitch and YouTube channels, the ceremony will present the top winning teams and additional awards for individual and team-based categories.
Fans can follow their favorite club's performance on the Gamers8 channels as well as the tournament streams weekly, where viewers will be updated on all competitions throughout the festival.
For further Gamers8 details, including ticket sales, all information is available on the event website.
About Gamers8 – The Land Of Heroes:
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. You can watch the world's top esports teams compete for the highest prize pools, attend performances by global music artists, experience your favorite gaming platforms come to life, and learn the mysteries behind the creation of video games. Gamers8 is your world, and it's your adventure to choose.
Gamers8: The Land of Heroes follows the success of last year's Gamers8 at Boulevard Riyadh City. Gamers8 2022 saw the world's best teams and players battle it out across five top titles – Rocket League, Dota 2 Riyadh Masters, Fortnite, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege and PUBG Mobile – for a prize pool of $15 million. The 2022 festival was visited by more than 1.4 million visitors and watched by more than 132 million people around the globe. A total of 391 professional players – representing more than 61 nationalities – and 113 international teams took part in the world-class esports competitions. Gamers8: The Land of Heroes has a total prize pool of over $45 million – triple last year's grand prize total – and will host the elite of esports in a state-of-the-art, purpose-built venue at Boulevard Riyadh City. The festival will conclude with a gaming and esports forum, known as the 'Next World Forum', that brings together sector leaders and experts from around the world.
About SEF:
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.