

eSports
Aiming to Make Saudi Arabia a Global Center for Gaming and Esports Sector by 2030, HRH Crown Prince Launches The National Gaming and Esports Strategy
His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Council for Economic and Development Affairs unveils the National Gaming and Esports Strategy that marks the beginning of a new era toward leading the gaming sector and making Saudi Arabia the global hub for this sector by 2030, which contributes in achieving Vision 2030 objectives to diversify the economy, create new jobs in various sectors, and provide world-class entertainment for citizens, residents and visitors alike.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince highlighted: The National Gaming and Esports Strategy is driven by the creativity and energy of our citizens and gamers, who are at the heart of the strategy. We are delivering on the ambitions of the gaming community in Saudi Arabia and around the world, with an exciting new career, and unique entertainment opportunities; aiming to make Saudi Arabia the ultimate global hub for this sector by 2030.
The strategy includes 3 main objectives that have a direct impact on citizens, the private sector, fans and professionals of games and esports around the world, which is to raise the quality of life by improving the players’ experience, providing new entertainment opportunities, and achieving an economic impact by contributing to the gross domestic product by about 50 billion riyals directly and indirectly, Also the creation of 39,000 new direct and indirect job opportunities by 2030, providing the foundational environment for developing competencies, and aiming to reach global leadership and enhance the Kingdom’s position on the international arena, through the production of more than 30 competitive games Globally in the Kingdom’s studios, and reaching the top three countries in the number of professional esports players.
The launch of the strategy by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince comes as a continuation of the many initiatives and the great successes achieved by the Kingdom in entertainment, sports, and video game sectors, within the framework of Vision 2030. This is especially important considering the rapid growth that this sector is witnessing which will create new opportunities that require the existence of a national strategy to harness the Kingdom’s untapped capabilities and potential; by leading the developments in this sector, ensuring integration with other strategic sectors, and maximizing the benefit to the economy of the country and empower the citizens.
The Kingdom intends to implement this strategy through 86 initiatives covering the entire value chain, launched and managed by more than 20 government and private entities, from launching business incubators and hosting major events for gaming and e-sports, establishing educational academies, and developing stimulating regulations that ensure keeping pace with the rapid growth in this sector. These initiatives are divided into 8 focus areas, including technology and hardware development, game production, e-sports, additional services, and other enabling aspects that include infrastructure, regulations, education, and talent acquisition, as well as financing and financial support.
The gaming and esports sector is considered the fastest growing among all media sectors, and its audience is rapidly increasing, which makes it an economy in itself, and is expected to reach $200 billion by 2023. It also forms the Kingdom’s position as a geographical link between the East and West and its young population of around 21M. Such elements will enhance the Kingdom’s ambition to be a global hub for future gaming innovations, an attraction for game developers worldwide, and a global hub for esports, attracting talent and international companies and contributing to achieving a local and global impact in the sector, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
eSports
PlayVS Announces Multi-year Partnership with Zenni Optical

PlayVS, the leading esports platform in North America, announced a multi-year partnership with Zenni Optical, the world’s leading online eyewear retailer. This partnership establishes Zenni as the official eyewear partner of PlayVS, bringing exclusive benefits to PlayVS’ esports community.
As part of this collaboration, Zenni will serve as the official eyewear partner of the PlayVS Cup, the annual national esports championship for high school students. The Cup provides top scholastic esports teams from across the country with an opportunity to compete for a national title and earn recognition and awards, including college scholarships. Zenni’s partnership will help power scholarship prizes for Cup finalists, furthering PlayVS’ dedication to empowering students and supporting their educational and athletic ambitions. These scholarships not only aid with alleviating financial strain, but also highlight esports as a viable pathway to academic and professional success.
Zenni’s eyewear will also be included in the prize packages that PlayVS Cup champions and PlayVS Awards winners receive, providing students with high quality eyewear to complement their gaming performance. Additionally, Zenni will offer members of the PlayVS community exclusive discounts on eyewear.
“We are excited to partner with PlayVS and expand our ongoing support of the gaming and esports community. Empowering a dedicated high school esports program that not only will generate awareness around the importance of eye health to a new generation of gamers but also support their academic pursuits is such an amazing opportunity for Zenni to partner with,” said Robb Chiarini, Head of Partnerships, Licensing, & Events at Zenni Optical.
Through this partnership, Zenni will also be integrated into PlayVS’ content series, Road to the PlayVS Cup, a set of videos showcasing different esports programs across the nation as they compete to earn a spot in the PlayVS Cup.
“Partnering with Zenni is a natural fit for us as we continue to grow the high school esports community. Zenni shares our commitment to supporting students in both esports and academics. By joining forces with Zenni, we’re empowering students with scholarships and enabling them to partake in healthy competition to foster their esports careers. We’re excited to work together and bring Zenni’s eyewear to our community of gamers,” said Jon Chapman, CEO of PlayVS.
The post PlayVS Announces Multi-year Partnership with Zenni Optical appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
eSports
Genius Sports Signs Partnerships with Bayes Esports and GRID

Genius Sports Limited has signed new partnerships with Bayes Esports and GRID Esports (GRID) to provide sportsbooks with the highest-quality official esports offering.
GRID, as the only game data platform directly working with the game publishers will provide Genius Sports with exclusive access to official live esports data from League of Legends, and VALORANT, the fastest-growing betting esports title, alongside Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six data, and a robust portfolio of CS2 and Dota2 data from the global tournaments by BLAST and Champion of Champions.
Genius Sports’ sportsbook partners will also be able to access official streaming and data visualizations powered by official GRID data.
Bayes Esports is helping power Genius Sports’ esports offering with its highly granular Live Match Data. As the exclusive data partner of key esports tournament organisers such as ESL FACEIT Group, Bayes Esports covers the majority of official live data for Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 esports, which brings in some of the highest revenue for sportsbooks.
Genius Sports will further enhance its offering with Bayes Esports’ data product suite, including low-latency video and live data-powered widgets. Select Genius Sports products will be available through Bayes Esports’ distribution in return.
Going forward, Genius Sports will provide sportsbooks worldwide with an end-to-end esports trading product across pre-match and in-play, powered by ultra low-latency data to guarantee sharp odds and maximum market uptime. Through this product, sportsbooks can unlock new revenues by reaching a highly engaged audience with high-octane, year-round content.
“We are thrilled to announce these new partnerships with Bayes and GRID, two leaders in their field, to create an unrivalled esports content suite for our sportsbook partners. As the new home of esports for sportsbooks, we will provide our partners with the highest-quality data and odds on the most prestigious titles in the sport,” said Matt Stephenson, Global Partnerships Director at Genius Sports.
The post Genius Sports Signs Partnerships with Bayes Esports and GRID appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
DACH CS Joins as Member of Esports Integrity Commission

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has announced that DACH CS GmbH (DACH CS), a tournament organiser seeking to revitalise competitive Counter-Strike in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, has officially joined ESIC membership.
By joining ESIC, DACH CS commits to upholding the highest standards of competitive integrity. The membership requires the league to implement ESIC’s Integrity Programme across all of its tournaments, tackling key issues such as match-fixing, cheating, and doping, fostering a culture of fair play within the region.
As an ESIC member, DACH CS will integrate ESIC’s codes of conduct, actively cooperate in investigations, and enforce ESIC’s rulings. This commitment aligns DACH CS with global best practices, ensuring that the DACH Counter-Strike esports scene operates with a proven integrity framework.
Stephen Hanna, Chief Executive Officer of ESIC, said: “DACH CS’s dedication to rebuilding and strengthening the competitive Counter-Strike scene in the DACH region makes them a valuable addition to ESIC’s growing membership. Their commitment to competitive integrity and fair competition aligns perfectly with our mission to safeguard esports. We look forward to working closely with them to support a sustainable and transparent ecosystem for players, teams, and stakeholders in the region.”
Anton Christoph, Founder & Managing Director of DACH CS, said: “At DACH CS, we’re on a mission to take the Counter-Strike Scene in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to old and new heights! We’re super excited to be joining forces with ESIC, as we’re confident that this is a vital step in keeping our community’s most prized values at the heart of our operations. By teaming up with ESIC and aligning with their globally recognised integrity standards, we’re making a promise to you, our players, teams and stakeholders, to provide a competitive environment that’s both trusted and well-structured. We are excited to work closely with ESIC to build a sustainable and respected esports landscape in the DACH region.”
The post DACH CS Joins as Member of Esports Integrity Commission appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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