On the 23rd of October, Ralf Reichert, the ESL FACEIT Group Chairman and Esports expert, announced that he would resign from his position to become the CEO of the Esports World Foundation. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, announced the Esports World Cup. The event has been projected to become a vital piece of the country’s Vision 2030 project, which aims to grow its tourism sector and diversify its economy.
This creates an opportunity for many devout Esports enthusiasts in the country to passively participate in the tournament by visiting i-ggbet.com/en to predict the outcome of their favorite events.
This is the country’s latest venture in esports. Other examples include the acquisition and merger of FACEIT and ESL Gaming by Savvy Games Group. There’s also the national esports strategy, which involves a $45m esports festival and investment plans worth a whopping $38 billion.
Concerns About Saudi Arabia’s Investment
The announcement of the event, a cross-game Esports contest worth several million dollars, was received with several criticisms in the nation, just like virtually every Saudi Arabian government-funded Esports project.
There have been increased concerns about the country’s billion-dollar investments in the esports industry. This is because of the nation’s human rights records regarding women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as its strict stance on dissent.
Ralf Reichert stated the plans of the Esports World Cup Foundation to acknowledge and address the concerns of the community regarding the event.
He said that he thinks the contest addresses these issues in the core of past events in the last 2-3 years. He stated that the country had become a dream destination for several players, publishers, tournament promoters, organizers, and teams. He also said that he can’t recount any single incident where the visitors didn’t feel safe or welcome in the country.
Reichert also said that the human rights issue and other related items on the agenda are all about a changing society. He reiterated the Prime Minister’s speech about how the country is developing and progressing.
Bringing it back to esports, Reichert said that the country is at the forefront of its development and believes that it’s a society that’s changing for the better. He emphasizes that it’s fine that the community is keeping a critical eye on the events and that it’s to be expected.
The Prominence of the Esports World Cup
From the context of competition, the Esports World Cup is set to usurp Gamers8 as the most prominent and driven gaming project in the country. Saudi Arabia intends to make the event one of the largest esports tournaments globally in the aspects of the titles it will attract and the prize pool.
Reichert rounded up by saying that the list of titles will surpass the double-figure mark and that there’s potential for the event to ultimately include games coming from various platforms, including the console, PC, and even mobile devices.
