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- Saudi Arabia has set up an esports initiative with a $10 Million Prize pool which will be donated to charity.
- The program is called GamersWithoutBorders.
Saudi Arabia has set up a charity esports event to raise money to fight the coronavirus pandemic with a gigantic $10 million prize fund. In this initiative gamers will be able to compete and then pick a charity of their choosing. The tournament will be known as known as Gamers Without Borders by Saudi, and will take place between April 24 and June 7.
The tournament includes daily and weekly public tournaments and prize giveaways worth a further $2 million.Titles such as Call of Duty, Fortnite, PUBG MOBILE, Clash Royale, FIFA 20, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, Overwatch and even Rocket League will be a part of this initiative.“Much of the world is in lockdown. Many feel helpless in response and alone. Yet the simple beauty of esports is that it is digital by design and can be enjoyed by everyone, anywhere and at any time. It has never been more relevant and now is the time for all gamers to join together and contribute to the cause,” said Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Sultan, chairman of the Saudi Arabian Federation for Electronic and Intellectual Sports (SAFEIS) to the Saudi Gazette.
SAFEIS is organizing the event with the technical support of ESL.The tournament will be open to anyone, and feature a two-tier system. Amateurs and gaming enthusiasts can compete across six global community tournaments each week, with the best performers climbing up for a chance to compete in the upper tier against the world’s most elite gamers.At the elite level, a share of the $10 million prize fund is up for grabs and set to be distributed to one of 12 different charities selected by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief).Tournament winners will pick the non-profit of their choice to support the heroic work charities are doing in the face of the global pandemic. Sponsorship revenue generated during the event will also be directly donated to charity.
Commenting on the partnership, ESL’s VP Business Development MENA Abdelatif Sakkoum said: “Leaning on our 20 years of esports experience, ESL accepted to become a partner of the ‘Gamers without Borders’ charity tournament to set up a large competition across eight esports and gaming titles within a very short time frame.”
He added, “We’ll provide and create the best possible conditions to set up a month-long competition for this vital cause.”
In addition to gaming and watching, Gamers Without Borders will also present a learning opportunity. In collaboration with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT), a learning Academy will be launched offering a series of training programs, prized hackathons and webinars targeted at developers, gamers, investors, and entrepreneurs alike to help teach game development and share a wealth of digital and gaming insight.
To register for the event, visit www.gamerswithoutborders.com
