The highly anticipated Gamers8 festival is back in 2023 with an extravaganza called ‘The Land of Heroes’. This event, which is being put on by the Saudi Esports Federation, looks like it will be bigger and better than ever before.
It will last for eight weeks and include esports tournaments, music concerts, and the Next World Forum conference.
The prize money for the game is a hefty sum, but it’s not the only sparkling item on the table. With an incredible $45 million prize pool, it has become the biggest event in the history of esports, cementing its place as a top-tier game event.
From Fortnite to FIFA: Unveiling the Controversial Esports Lineup of Gamers8 2023
Even though the event is huge, it has been in the middle of a lot of controversy because it is linked to the Saudi government and people are worried about human rights violations.
Let’s look into what the Gamers8 festival is all about. The 2023 edition started on July 6 and will last for eight weeks. On August 31, the Gamers8 Club Awards will mark the end of the event. Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, is where the fair takes place.
The NXT LVL Arena, which was built especially for the event in Riyadh Boulevard City, is the heart of the event and gives it a sense of grandeur.
#Gamers8 x @FIFAe Finals 2023:
🎮 FIFAe Club World Cup
🎮 FIFAe Nations Cup
🎮 FIFAe World Cup
💰 $3,000,000
🗺️ Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
🗓️ July 6-19
🦸♂️ #TheLandOfHeroes pic.twitter.com/uRFu21TICu— Gamers8 Esports (@Gamers8GG) July 1, 2023
Gamers8 has stated that 12 esports games with a total prize pool of $33.5 million will be part of the 2023 edition. Fans will be interested in games like Dota 2, Fortnite, Rocket League, Rainbow Six Siege, and PUBG Mobile that are back.
At the event, new games like CS:GO, StarCraft: Remastered, StarCraft II, Tekken 7, Street Fighter 6, PUBG, R1, and FIFA will be shown for the first time.
The addition of FIFA 23 was announced on July 1, which made the list of games even more exciting. The FIFAe Finals 2023 will take place from July 6 to July 19. They will include the FIFAe Club World Cup 2023, the FIFAe Nations Cup 2023, and the FIFAe World Cup 2023. The total prize pool is $3 million.
Gamers8 has set aside $5 million to reward the best esports organisations, on top of the individual prizes for the best players. Each gaming tournament will earn ranking points, and the top club will get a big $1.5 million prize at the end of the event if they have the most points.
Even though Gamers8 is a big and exciting event, it hasn’t been able to avoid criticism. People are upset that the event is linked to the Saudi government, which has a history of abusing human rights. As a form of protest, some groups and people have decided to not go to the event.
For example, Moist Esports, which was started by the famous streamer Charles “MoistCritikal” White, turned down an invitation to Gamers8’s Rocket League tournament last year because of Saudi Arabia’s position on LGBTQ+ rights.
Concerns have also been made in the gaming community about the growing role of Saudi Arabian money in esports. The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund owns 100% of the Savvy Games Group (SGG). SGG has started a big investment plan that will cost SAR 142 billion (about $37.9 billion).
As part of the Vision 2023 project, they want to make Saudi Arabia a centre for games and esports around the world by the end of the decade. With the $1.5 billion deal to buy ESL and FACEIT, SGG has made its position in the business even stronger.
What are your thoughts on the Gamers8 festival? Share your opinions and join the conversation in the comments section below!
