Revenue in the Video Games segment is projected to reach US$1,330m in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in 2023.1
The largest segment is Mobile Games with a market volume of US$1,071.00m in 2023.1
PUBG MOBILE, co-developed by LightSpeed Studios and KRAFTON, Inc., published by Tencent’s Level Infinite, is one of the world’s most popular mobile games and one of the most watched mobile esports games.
Endless Studios operates a youth-centred game making studio where young people work with game industry pros to create games.
Riyadh– PUBG MOBILE, one of the world’s most popular mobile games, has launched the KSA PUBG MOBILE Campus Design Contest in Riyadh in partnership with VOV Gaming, the experiential gaming company and part of Savvy Games Group, and Endless Studios, a youth centred game making studio.
The PUBG MOBILE Campus Design Contest is open to university and high school students across the Kingdom. Students are invited to create their own fanart and design concepts for game skins (i.e., ‘outfits’) or a selection of in-game items and submit their artwork by April 12th online. Finalists will be selected by a panel of judges to go through to a final stage of in-game voting, with PUBG MOBILE players across Saudi Arabia voting for their favourite work. The winner will be announced in May.
The Saudi Arabian launch, which is part of a wider global initiative, took place at VOV’s The Zone gaming venue in Riyadh with students and game industry professionals gathering to hear about the contest. In the spirit of linking industry, students and educators in the gaming space and supporting the thriving gaming industry in Saudi Arabia, the launch brought together a wide range of groups in Saudi Arabia including professionals in the video game industry, students and educators in KSA. The event combined the global phenomenon of PUBG MOBILE, with VOV Gaming’s passion for creating communities in games, and was supported by Endless Studios’ dedication to gaming education for youth.
On this occasion, HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Vice Chairman of Savvy Games Group and Chairman of Saudi Esports Federation, said: “We seek to provide opportunities and participate in establishing partnerships in the gaming sector to empower talents and unlock the exceptional potential of Saudi Arabia. Attracting international companies to the Kingdom through investments and partnerships contributes to providing skills, knowledge transfer and capacity building in the gaming and esports ecosystem. This partnership will enable the company to bring together Saudi university and high school students, and video games experts, establish a platform to showcase the talents of students in designing video games, and provide video games developers with a unique opportunity to improve their knowledge and hone their skills.”
Jerry Gamez, CEO, VOV Gaming, said: “The gaming industry is growing rapidly in Saudi Arabia with a strong drive locally to develop homegrown talent. Part of our mission at VOV is to enable gamers of all genders, disciplines and abilities to fulfil their potential. In partnering with PUBG MOBILE and Endless Studios to launch this contest in the Kingdom we’re providing a channel for Saudi students to express their creativity and passion for gaming as well as creating awareness about the infinite possibilities there are in the video game industry for them.”
Matt Dalio, Founder, Endless Studios, commented: “Endless was founded to prepare young people for a future in which they are the ones shaping their own technology. At Endless, young people from around the world come together to design and make video games, through that process they gain skills that enable them to access a wide range of new opportunities. We are delighted to partner with PUBG MOBILE and VOV Gaming at this event to reach out to students and invite them to join our growing community of young creators, designers, engineers, and artists.”
John Lacey, Country Manager, Level Infinite, MENA, Tencent Games Global, said: “The PUBG MOBILE Campus Design Contest, launched in Saudi Arabia in partnership with VOV Gaming and Endless Studios, encourages student gaming enthusiasts to develop their design capabilities. We are thrilled to offer students in Saudi Arabia the opportunity to showcase their talent to the industry and establish a link between students and industry.”
