The Global Esports Federation has confirmed Dubai as the host city for the GEF’s flagship Global Esports Games 2025, while the GEF delegation, led by CEO, Paul J. Foster, was at the Season 2022 LIVE kick-off of the Global Esports Tour, staged at the Dubai World Trade Centre from June 9-11. 
The landmark announcement was made in the presence Abdulla Al Gurg, Vice-President of Emirates Esports, Chair of GEF Digital Transformation Commission and Founder of Esports Management Group (EMG), the Secretary-General, Saeed Al Taher, and Board Members of Emirates Esports, in front of a capacity crowd at the GET Dubai.
The GEF delegation, comprising GEF Vice-President, HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud; GEF Board Members, Adrian Lismore and Hala Ghandour; as well as Alper Afshin Özdemir, President of the Turkish Esports Federation; and Paulo Ribas, President of the Brazil Esports Federation, attended a series of meetings and events in the United Arab Emirates as Dubai was confirmed as the host for the GEG 2025.
“Congratulations Dubai and the people of the United Arab Emirates. The Global Esports Federation is delighted to confirm Dubai as the host of our global flagship property – the Global Esports Games – in December 2025. Once again, the eyes of the world, the energy, and passion of our #worldconnected community will light up Dubai, the UAE, and the region,” expressed Chris Chan, President of the GEF. 
“We are excited to see the incredible progress since our signing of a Strategic Framework Agreement with Emirates Esports at Expo 2020 Dubai last November, to unlock opportunities and develop esports in the region. The world will once again unite in Dubai with the city confirmed to host the Global Esports Games in 2025,” said Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF. 
"The whole world knows that Dubai is a great host and offers an epic world-class setting. We can’t wait to see athletes from across the world – standing on center stage at the GEF Arena in December 2025 – as they compete for the glory of their home country flag, the fans at home and in the stands, and the chance to show the world their many skills, talents, their personal journey and desire to compete,” he added.

[Source: Global Esports Federation] The Global Esports Federation has announced the appointment of IMG, a global leader in sports, fashion, events, and media, as its Strategic Partner. IMG will collaborate with the GEF and its Strategic Partner for Esports Services, FACEIT, to shape the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships in Birmingham this August. IMG will also support and provide commercial consultancy for the second edition of the GEF’s Flagship event – the Istanbul 2022 Global Esports Games in December.

IMG will utilize its expertise and global reach to further accelerate the rapid global expansion of the GEF’s esports events portfolio, through the staging of live content, brand creation, event management, marketing, media distribution, and partnership rights management.

“We are proud to welcome IMG to our Global Esports family. This is an important strategic partnership, not only for the GEF and IMG, but for players, fans and brands around the world,” said Lorenzo Giorgetti, Board Member and Chair of the GEF Brand, Marketing, Communications Commission. “We look forward to creating tremendous value for the GEF and our worldwide properties together.”

Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF emphasized, “It’s the connection and sharing of our human stories that are unlocking the superpowers of our time. We are proud to collaborate with IMG as we help to unite passionate brands with esports, sport, powerful technology and the Global Esports’ limitless innovation. We have seen the magic that powerful partnerships can create for our community. In our #worldconnected community, we level up our collective strengths and unlock opportunities together. Our worldwide collective of GEF partners shares our optimism for the future and deep commitment to our community, elevating esports on the global stage.”

Richard Wise, SVP, Content and Channels for IMG’s media business, said, “This is an exciting year for the Global Esports Federation and esports in general, and we are delighted to bring our expertise in a wide range of areas to ensure these major events are successful. The world of esports has grown enormously in recent years and these two events will provide outstanding entertainment for fans all over the world.”

In 2021, IMG signed a consultancy partnership with the Global Esports Games Organizing Committee and successfully staged the highly-anticipated inaugural Singapore 2021 Global Esports Games. The first-ever GEG attracted over 500 million accumulated views, including 4.4 million global live views during the two-day live event in Singapore.

[Source: Commonwealth Sport] The Global Esports Federation and the Commonwealth Games Federation have today unveiled three major titles for the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships that will take place in Birmingham this summer.

DOTA 2 (Valve), eFootball™ series (KONAMI) and Rocket League (Psyonix) will be featured at the event at the International Convention Centre (ICC) this August 6-7, with all three titles featuring a Women Category and an Open Category. 

Showcasing the excitement of the upcoming Commonwealth Esports Championships, students from across the UK played Rocket League during today’s CGF Executive Board Meeting in Birmingham. The demonstration was attended by President of the CGF, Dame Louise Martin DBE and CGF Chief Executive Officer, Katie Sadleir; the President of the GEF Chris Chan and Chair of GEF’s Coordination Commission for the CEC2022, Chester King. 

“We are proud to feature some of the world’s leading esports titles on stage in Birmingham’s International Convention Centre (ICC) over the weekend of August 6-7. We look forward to creating the opportunity for players and athletes from across the Commonwealth to shine on a truly global stage at this historic inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships,” said Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF.

"Alongside the GEF, we are delighted to unveil three major titles for the Commonwealth Esports Championships in Birmingham this summer. There is no doubt this innovative and exciting event will create new learnings and opportunities for us to further explore esports. The Commonwealth has a combined population of more than 2.4 billion with over 60% of them under the age of 30. This is a vital group for the Commonwealth Sport Movement to engage with, and esports can be an important part of this work due to its huge popularity and reach with young people across the world,” expressed Katie Sadleir, CEO of the CGF.

Commonwealth Games Minister Nigel Huddleston said: "Esports has connected millions of young people across the Commonwealth, providing entertainment and a vital sense of community.

“The Commonwealth Esports Championships is a major vote of confidence in the West Midlands’ and UK’s thriving esports industry and an exciting chance to look at how this can be brought into the Commonwealth Sport Movement.”

The Commonwealth Esports Championships will feature exciting demonstrations showcasing Active Esports and the powerful technologies that support the convergence of sport and esports. The Commonwealth Esports Forum – a global convention of diverse thought leaders and idea creators – will be held at the same venue on Friday, August 5, 2022. 

The event today comes after first Team Preparation Guide (TPG) meeting for the event was staged last month. The meeting led by the GEF was joined by leaders from the GEF, CGF and British Esports Association. It was attended by representatives from over 60 Commonwealth nations and territories, including the GEF’s Member Federations who are set to compete in Birmingham. The organising team briefed the delegations on arrangements for participants and have since commenced team selections and preparations.  

About the Global Esports Federation

The Global Esports Federation promotes the credibility, legitimacy, and prestige of esports. We convene athletes, players, the world’s publishers, developers, industry partners and sporting organizations on one inclusive platform. We encourage and support the connection between esports, sport and technology. Our mission calls for the development of visible initiatives that are in service to the world’s esports community. We are grateful for a collective of strategic partnerships that bring to life this mission. www.globalesports.org

About the Commonwealth Games Federation

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the organisation that is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games, and for delivering on the vision of the Commonwealth Sports Movement: to build peaceful, sustainable and prosperous communities globally by inspiring Commonwealth Athletes to drive the impact and ambition of all Commonwealth Citizens through Sport.

About the Business and Tourism Programme (BATP)

The Business and Tourism Programme (BATP) aims to leverage the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to embed positive perceptions of the West Midlands into the international imagination, driving long-term economic benefits across the region, fostering civic pride. Focusing on tourism, trade and investment, the three-year programme will catalyse the West Midlands’ growth strategy, cementing the region, and wider UK, as a globally sought-after location to visit, invest and live in. Its work will focus on nations and territories across the Commonwealth.

[Source: Global Esports Federation] The inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships and Commonwealth Esports Forum will be staged in Birmingham, England this summer. The Championships is a tangible result of the Strategic Partnership between the Global Esports Federation and the Commonwealth Games Federation, announced in May 2020. The new competition in Birmingham will be supported by the British Esports Association, the not-for-profit national body established in 2016 to promote esports in the UK, increase its level of awareness, improve standards and inspire future talent.

The Commonwealth Esports Championships will take place at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham on August 6-7, 2022. The Commonwealth Esports Forum – a global convention of thought leaders and idea creators – will be held at the same venue in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Esports Championships, on August 5, 2022.

The Commonwealth Esports Championships will feature esports athletes from across the Commonwealth. Renowned multi-genre global titles are in the final stages of confirmation and will be announced shortly. The event is set to feature exciting demonstrations showcasing Active Esports and the powerful technologies that support the convergence of sport and esports.

The Commonwealth Esports Championships was sanctioned by the CGF Executive Board to be held at the same time as the 2022 Commonwealth Games whilst being independent of Birmingham 2022 and its sports programme. The Commonwealth Esports Championships will have separate branding, medals, organisation, and governance, led by the GEF and its community of partners.

Dame Louise Martin, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation said, “I am delighted that we are announcing the first Commonwealth Esports Championships and Commonwealth Esports Forum to take place in Birmingham this summer. Esports is continuing to grow dramatically in terms of popularity and participation, particularly amongst young people, and we are continuing to look at ways to explore how it can align with the Commonwealth Sports Movement. Commonwealth Esports Championships provides an excellent opportunity to pilot esports close to the Commonwealth Games. This will allow us to review the long-term relationship between the Commonwealth Games and esports as we continue to evolve and explore future editions of our event and what they could look like. I would like to thank the Global Esports Federation for their partnership with this exciting event, including the British Esports Association and the Business and Tourism Programme, who will help us bring this concept to life.”

“We are proud to establish yet another first for the world’s esports community. The inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships comes hot on the heels of the first-ever Singapore 2021 Global Esports Games staged in December 2021, capturing more than 500 million views from around the world. The Commonwealth Esports Championships offers our community another exciting event in the global esports calendar. We look forward to welcoming the esports community to Birmingham in August,” said Chris Chan, President of the Global Esports Federation.

The event is supported by the Business and Tourism Programme (BATP), which aims to maximise the economic legacy of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, as well as the regional economic development agency, the West Midlands Growth Company, which drives long-term tourism, investment, and major events into the region.

Exploring esports is one of the recommendations outlined in the new Commonwealth Sport 2026/30 Strategic Roadmap. The aspiration is that the innovative inaugural event will engage new audiences, showcase the digital and gaming credentials of the West Midlands and enable the Commonwealth Sport Movement to further explore the impact and potential of esports as part of the roadmap.

[Source: Global Esports Federation] The inaugural Singapore 2021 Global Esports Games is proud to be supported by a slate of partners that includes Singapore Airlines, MyRepublic, Samsung, Razer, and Flare Networks, signalling the strong backing that the event has received from organizations across the APAC region.

The GEG, the flagship event of the Global Esports Federation, is a global, multi-title competition. The inaugural edition features Dota 2, eFootball 2022, and Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, with participation from esports athletes and players from over 50 countries and territories. At the World Finals, over 100 athletes from 40 countries and territories will compete in Singapore in front of a LIVE audience and multi-channel broadcast. The event runs from December 18-19 at Resorts World Sentosa.

This is Singapore Airlines’ first esports partnership, and the national carrier is the GEG’s Official Airline Partner. The GEG’s other official partners in their respective areas are MyRepublic (Telco), Samsung Neo QLED (Technology), Razer (Esports), and Lazada (E-commerce). Joining them are community partners TikTok and GosuGamers, and venue partner Resorts World Sentosa.

In a tangible demonstration of its deep commitment to the esports community, Flare Networks, GEF’s Global Partner for Blockchain Ecosystems, is making a grant of their Songbird Tokens ($SGB) to every athlete and team heading to Singapore and helping the global broadcast reach the entire world.

Chris Chan, President of the GEF said: “We are thrilled by the support from world-class brands for the first-ever Global Esports Games. We are now in the final phase of preparations for the GEG. The entire team remains focused on staging a prestigious international competition as planned despite the challenging circumstances. We are grateful to our partners for their commitment to sharing and supporting our #worldconnected vision.”

GEFcon, the GEF’s international convention of esports thought leaders and idea creators, takes place virtually on December 16. Visit www.gefcon.org for panel information and sessions details. You can register on https://tinyurl.com/GEFcon21Registration to access the sessions. A Keynote Panel debating the current and future state of esports will be staged LIVE from Resorts World Sentosa (Singapore) on Friday, December 17 at 2.00pm. The panel will feature discussions with the GEF President, the GEF Chief Executive Officer, and leaders from the Istanbul 2022 and Riyadh 2023 Global Esports Games Organizing Committees.

The GEFestival, meanwhile, is staged between December 4-18, brings together esports and gaming, music, art and technology. As a prelude to the Global Esports Games, GEFestival offers a series of community esports competitions and the premiere of a specially curated documentary, music, and art showcase that celebrates esports and youth culture. View all key events of the GEFestival on YouTube and Twitch.

Viewers around the world can watch live streams of the GEG on Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, Huya, and GosuGamers.

Host City: Hi Paul, we’re really looking forward to hearing you speak at Host City 2021. You’ve recently announced the host cities for the next 3 Global Esports Games – what do you think the Games will bring to these cities?

Paul J. Foster: Firstly, thank you for inviting me back to this year’s Host City edition. So much has happened over the last year around the world and for the Global Esports Federation. Our inaugural Global Esports Games is just around the corner and kicks off in Singapore on December 17.

Beyond the obvious thrills of a live esports tournament featuring some of the world’s top teams and players, I hope that the Games will offer a message of hope and optimism in these trying times; that live events are returning and communities can come together again and have fun.

This will be one of the first flagship, international events to be held in Singapore in the last 2 years and I wish for the Global Esports Games to become the benchmark on how a global event can be safely and successfully staged; paving the way for other international events to be held in Singapore come 2022.

We are grateful to Singapore for hosting this first Games. Istanbul 2022 and Riyadh 2023 will also have delegations in Singapore – learning and sharing from the teams.

Host City: We’re really looking forward to hearing you speak at Host City 2021 on 7-8 December. What are you most looking forward to hearing and seeing there?

Paul J. Foster: Thank you and I am excited to be given this opportunity to share my thoughts and learnings over the past year with your audience and communities around the world.

I am really looking forward to tuning in to various panels as they share their thoughts on how we can all move forward successfully.

I am also keen to hear perspectives around the development of the metaverse and how communities are successfully embracing the co-existence of the real and virtual world in the planning and staging of events and viewership

REGISTER FOR HOST CITY 2021 HERE NOW

[Source: Global Esports Federation] The Global Esports Federation celebrates the final months of 2021 with a host of activities, charting numerous firsts for the organization. Excitement among the world’s esports community for the inaugural Global Esports Games kicking off in Singapore on December 17 is at a fever pitch. The inaugural host city prepares to welcome athletes from over 40 countries and territories to compete in person at the historic event in the heart of vibrant Singapore.

[Source: Global Esports Federation] 

The Global Esports Tour heads to Riyadh, hot on the heels of the first event held in Los Angeles last month. Convened by the Global Esports Federation and hosted by the Saudi Esports Federation, as live audiences return to events across the world. The GET Riyadh goes live from Sunday 24 – Tuesday, 26 October 2021 and will be battled out on PUBG MOBILE, one of the world’s most popular esports titles with over 1 billion total downloads worldwide.

The GET Riyadh will see 16 of the finest PUBG MOBILE pro-teams compete for a prize pool of US$150,000. High profile teams competing in Riyadh include Russia-based Virtus.pro, Saudi’s Rico Infinity Esports, Nepal’s DRS Gaming (Da Real Soldiers) and T2K, Morocco’s Cryptics, and Jordan’s FATE Esports, in a truly global line-up.

“The Global Esports Tour underscores the true energy of our #worldconnected motto. From LA – one of the global centers for entertainment, we head to the Middle East – one of the fastest-growing esports regions on the planet, Saudi Arabia. We are proud to join our host and GEF Board Member HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, and we look forward to connecting with players and fans in Riyadh,” said Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF.

“Riyadh is pleased to host the Global Esports Tour, which will be a prominent part of our annual calendar of esports events. The Global Esports Federation has been a valuable partner to us, and we are delighted to bring this event to our nation's capital, Riyadh. Esports continues to flourish around the world, and we are excited about the opportunity to host and organize tournaments that connect, excite, and engage the community," said HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, President of the Saudi Esports Federation.

Joining the pro-team line-up and providing their expert commentary and analysis at the GET Riyadh will be British esports commentator and analyst, Jake “Highland Wolf” Hannett; as well as esports caster, analyst and coach, Joshua “Professor Tarzan” Chan. They will be joined by Arabic casters and gaming video creators Abdulaziz “Henky” Almuhanna and Tariq “K0de” Khtatneh.

The broadcast kicks off at 4.00pm (Riyadh) daily, from Sunday, October 24, 2021, till Tuesday, October 26, 2021. Broadcast channels:

● Global Esports Federation Twitch Channel

● Global Esports Federation YouTube Channel

[Source: Global Esports Federation (GEF)] Launching a runway into worldwide expansion, the Global Esports Federation Board today unveils the first three host cities for its premier flagship event: Singapore 2021, Istanbul 2022 and Riyadh 2023.

The Global Esports Games, held each year in December, will convene the world in a celebration of esports, virtual sport, music and entertainment. The GEG will feature teams from across the world participating in multi-title esports competitions and active esports.

In parallel, GEFcon, a global convention of thought leaders, and the GEFestival, a dynamic celebration of inclusive esports culture highlighting music, art, technology, fashion, food and much more, promise to add to the diverse, immersive and world-class program.

“The Global Esports Games has drawn overwhelming interest. We have undergone a rigorous selection process,” said Chris Chan, President, Global Esports Federation, “Now the work and creativity truly begin as we set the stage for the world’s esports athletes and players to shine.”

“The first Global Esports Games to be held in December this year will provide the opportunity to showcase esports to the world”, said Ng Chong Geng, President, Singapore Esports Association (SGEA). "We are grateful to have the opportunity to host this truly historic event".

Co-Chairs of the Coordination Commission for the Global Esports Games, Angela Ruggiero and Luzeng Song, noted that appointing the right host cities is a key to success. “We will lend our support and guidance so the host cities can unleash their full potential,” Ruggiero said, “and so the incredible untold stories of the power of esports – and sport as the future of entertainment – can be unlocked, too.”

Paul J. Foster, Chief Executive Officer, Global Esports Federation, said the energy, skill and passion of esports, and the technologies that drive it, are captured in the GEF motto: #worldconnected. Carrying that forward to the Global Esports Games, he said, “We have listened to the athletes and players, the incredible publishers and developers, and the wider community to create a platform for athletes to shine, representing countries and territories as in other prestigious multi-sport competitions.”

[Source: Global Esports Federation] The Global Esports Federation starts the new year following the successful staging of the first edition of the #worldconnected series (#wcs20) in December 2020. The event saw participation from 75 countries and territories across seven regions of the world.

The regional esports competitions hosted by the GEF’s Member Federations attracted close to 5,000 esports players worldwide competing in 11 titles, drawing over half a million spectators online. Top matches were streamed live on the GEF’s Twitch channel – twitch.tv/GEF.

In addition, the staging of the inaugural GEFcon attracted over 1,000 participants from around the world. GEFcon20, developed with Sports Innovation Lab, showcased 14 sessions with 50 global thought leaders from esports, sports, technology and innovation sectors. The GEFcon20 sessions remain available for free viewing at GEFcon.org/videos.

“While so many events around the world were cancelled or postponed in 2020, our #wcs20 program demonstrated the Global Esports Federation’s capability, drawing the world’s esports community together. We are encouraged by the support from our diverse Member Federations and are committed to continuous collaboration,” said Chris Chan, President, Global Esports Federation.

“We kick off 2021 with renewed determination and commitment to promoting the credibility, legitimacy and prestige of esports.”

“At the GEF’s December Board Meeting, we reaffirmed our commitment to provide an integrated service platform to our Member Federations, assisting further growth and development. This year we will focus on diverse strategic initiatives, as well as the development and delivery of our global events portfolio, including our annual flagship Global Esports Games,” added Chris Chan.