The Dubai Esports and Games Festival 2023

The Dubai Esports and Games Festival 2023

26. June 2023 by madara s

The 2023 chapter of Dubai’s Esports and Gaming Festival (DEF) brought forth an array of thrilling and captivating confrontations on the fourth chronicle of this grand event. In anticipation of the final day’s grandeur, gaming aficionados and connoisseurs from the global sphere converged on Dubai Exhibition Centre’s South Hall 1, nestled within Expo City Dubai, to partake in the exhilarating spectacle.

Host Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had the fourth day of the DEF 2023 start with the Cosplay Idol groupstage.

Plenty of titles are played

Games of various genres were played, with the highly anticipated cosplay competition taking center stage. The participants put their artistic prowess and craftsmanship on display, with Sumi Cosplay’s outfit and enactment garnering acclaim from both the audience and the jury panel. At the same time, the Dubai Police organised the VALORANT and the FIFA 23 tournaments, providing a platform for experienced FPS and E-Soccer players to exhibit their prowess.

The Mainstage harbored the heart of the action – the Play Beyond tournament, where the world’s gaming giants waged battles. Regional and international influencer teams, too, locked horns across diverse gaming genres. Many popular games were played, most notably Fortnite, Fall Guys, FIFA23 and Rocket League, but there were also interesting matches happening in titles such as Overcooked, Call of Duty and Streat Fighter 6.

Many Influencers in attendence

A congregation of influencers graced the event, including MiniMinter, Grant, Demisux, Granthinds, AboFlah from the regional team, Saeed Wolf, and Bashayer. The latter, a respected figure from the Saudi gaming fraternity, is renowned for her gaming acumen. Joining her was Basharkk, a name synonymous with Call of Duty. The final day allowed fans to meet and interact with these personalities. Saudi Arabia’s esports landscape has been undergoing a radical transformation.

With multimillion-dollar tournaments, investments in game publishing, plans for a $500 million Esports City in Riyadh, and ESL and FACEIT being acquired by Saudi Arabia for $1.5 million, the nation’s esports trajectory is intriguing. One can only speculate what might be in store, but it’s evident that Saudi Arabia’s esports odyssey is far from over, and we can hardly contain our anticipation for their future endeavors.