Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Building on the success of the inaugural edition of the largest gaming and esports festival in the world, Gamers8, Mastercard has announced its return to the 2023 edition, which will be larger than ever. Mastercard’s role underlines the company’s commitment to delivering a diverse and exciting range of experiences for young people and passionate gamers across the Kingdom.

As a sponsor and partner of the history-making event, Mastercard will host a selection of daily tournaments and experiences for the gaming community during the 2023 edition of Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, which will take place from July 6 to August 31, 2023. The technology company aims to inspire gamers across the Kingdom and beyond, empowering them to embark on immersive gaming journeys: fun, lively engagements that enhance their skills and deliver even more moments to cherish.

“Now firmly established as the go-to destination for gaming enthusiasts, Gamers8 is a first-of-its-kind event: one designed to entertain, excite, and engage esports lovers. We are excited to extend our support to this global event for the second year as we help deliver immersive moments to gamers across the Kingdom. We are committed to continue working with our partners to support the growing gaming industry in the Kingdom and help realize its leadership’s ambitious vision,” said Adam Jones – Country General Manager, MENA Central, Mastercard.

“Gamers8: The Land of Heroes is set to shine a light on the Kingdom as a world-class and innovative hub of gaming and digital excellence. Partnering with Mastercard, we aim to make the 2023 edition even more special, offering more people from all backgrounds and walks of life the opportunity to connect to their passions. Ultimately, we believe the event will contribute to the Kingdom’s growth on the global stage as a nerve center of digital and gaming innovation,” said Ahmed Albishri, Deputy CEO & Season Lead, Saudi Esports Federation.

This year, Mastercard invites avid gaming fans to put their skills to the test by taking part in three exciting gaming missions, providing gamers the chance to win a rare and coveted prize: a legendary loot box. The missions include a unique on-ground activation that will see gamers take on Team Falcon’s legendary pro players at a dedicated booth. This will offer gaming enthusiasts a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to best-seasoned professionals and esports champions in a range of popular games.

Mastercard will also host fun and informative masterclasses over the course of Gamers8. These masterclasses will be held twice a week — for the duration of the two-month event — with gaming streamers and professional players.

Reiterating the global technology company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and creating experiences that are accessible to all members of society, two entire days of Gamers8 will be dedicated to female gamers. Girls and women will be invited to explore their love for gaming by taking part in special engagements with the region’s very best professional female gamers.

Aligned with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, Gamers8 was established to bolster the Kingdom’s digital infrastructure and marks the latest step taken by local authorities to accelerate the digital transformation of the country. In keeping with Mastercard’s mission to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere, Gamers8 will spotlight the Kingdom’s burgeoning esports industry and culture, calling attention to the continued growth and development of its digital economy and infrastructure.

Earlier this year, Mastercard partnered with Saudi Esports Federation and Saudi National Bank (SNB) to accelerate Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation and enhance its gaming and esports infrastructure. The collaboration aims at developing innovative financial products and offerings that create added value and enhance gamers’ experience.

To learn more about Gamers8 2023, please visit: LINK.

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About Mastercard

Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

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 $15million. 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 $45million – 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 Saudi Esports Federation:

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.