Another adrenaline-fueled, action-packed evening of professional esports unfolded at the Riyadh 2023 Global Esports Games (#GEG23) yesterday, setting the scene for more epic showdowns when the penultimate round of matchups begins later today.
Hosted by the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) and presented by the Global Esports Federation (GEF), day three of the five-day flagship multi-title competition saw countries’ quests for glory and global supremacy edge closer to gripping conclusions.
Live from the SEF Arena, yesterday saw drama across three separate tournaments, including the highly anticipated PUBG MOBILE. The tournament began with 16 of the world’s best countries parachuting onto the remote island below to accumulate points, oust their opponents, and emerge as the last team standing.
Working in teams of five, each country engaged in seven rounds of battle royale conflicts while attempting to establish themselves as frontrunners to win the two-day point system tournament. After an impressive performance, Thailand leads the way heading into today’s finale on 90 points, followed closely by Kazakhstan and Ukraine – tied second with 88 – and Vietnam (71) and host Saudi Arabia (64) also in contention.
“Anticipation surrounding the PUBG MOBILE tournament has been huge – and understandably so,” said Abdullah AlNasser, Head of Professional Esports at Saudi Esports Federation, in the immediate aftermath of day three. “PUBG MOBILE has been downloaded over a billion times and is the most-watched mobile esports game on the planet – so it’s obviously thrilling to watch 16 of the world’s elite teams go head to head in a round-robin shootout. The tournament certainly lived up to the hype and we can’t wait for more on Friday. Another dramatic day awaits with the latter stages of other tournaments also scheduled.”
The Dota 2 Women also entered the fray on day three with eight nations beginning their campaigns in this high-stakes single-elimination competition. Facing off in best-of-three matchups, Malaysia beat Thailand 2-0 to set up a semi-final with Argentina, who beat Turkey 2-0.
The other side of the draw also witnessed two straight-set victories as Peru and Chile set up a last-four clash after overcoming New Zealand and Kenya, respectively. The Dota 2 Women continues today with the final locked in for tomorrow.
Elsewhere at #GEG23, the eFootball™️ 2024 last 16 line-up was completed as the last chance qualifiers (LCQ) stage took place. After 12 teams booked their place in the knockout rounds on Wednesday alongside Spain, Mexico, and host Saudi Arabia, one more spot was up for grabs.
Panama beat Japan, Malaysia, and Luxembourg in best-of-three matchups to top the group and progress. eFootball™️ 2024 continues today with the last 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals all taking place before tomorrow’s final. In Friday’s opening round of fixtures, Saudi Arabia faces the UAE in a mouthwatering last-16 clash.
To get tickets to attend #GEG23 tournaments in Riyadh in person – which are free of charge but do require ticketed registration – please visit https://riyadh2023geg.platinumlist.net/
If you can’t make it down in person but want to watch all the #GEG23 gaming action online, please visit saudiesports – Twitch and GEF – Twitch
A convergence of esports, sports, technology, entertainment, culture, and the #worldconnected gaming community, #GEG23 promises to deliver an extraordinary spectacle on the grandest stage of global esports alongside key partners. Supporting #GEG23 is Savvy Games Group as Presenting Partner, TCL as Main Partner, Qiddiya as Nexus Partner, and both stc play and KFC as a Strategic Partner.
For more information about ##GEG23, including tournaments and line-ups, please visit riyadh2023geg.gg.
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