RIYADH: Team Vitality claimed $400,000 and the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive title on Sunday night at Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, the world’s biggest esports and gaming festival, after beating Ence 2-1 in the final.
After five days of the $1 million, 16-team CS:GO multi-player tactical first-person shooter competition at Boulevard Riyadh City, Finnish outfit Ence earned $180,000 for finishing second, with $80,000 each for Heroic in third and G2 Esports in fourth.
Mat, the Team Vitality coach, said: “To win the tournament is amazing. Everything was perfect for the players and staff to perform. Riyadh is a really good place, and the people are very kind and respectful. It was great to see many people enjoying video games and esports. We only managed two days of practice before coming here because we were at a tournament in Cologne. So, it was tough but as usual with this team even if we don’t have the best preparation, we want to do our best.”
Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, which is organized by the Saudi Esports Federation and runs for eight weeks throughout July and August, has a prize pool of $45 million — triple that of Gamers8 last year. The festival features elite gaming contests alongside live concerts from top local and global artists.
The festival concludes with the Next World Forum, a gaming and esports event at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh on Aug. 30 and 31, that brings together sector leaders and experts from around the globe.
