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The Esports Awards in Riyadh
The Esports Awards took place last night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the first time during the concluding weekend of the Esports World Cup.
Samantha “Rivers” Rivera Treviño won for Streamer of the Year. Personality of the Year went to Seth “Scump” Abner, who was also one of the emcees for the evening. The first Lifetime Achievement award went to Jens Hilgers, founder of Bitkraft Ventures, Bayes, G2 Esports, and ESL.
I attended the Esports Awards at the conclusion of the first day of the New Global Sport Conference (NGSC), which brought together leaders from esports, gaming, business, sports, and entertainment to explore The Future of Fandom. NGSC said it drew more than 1,400 people to the Riyadh event just as the eight-week Esports World Cup was coming to a close.
The Esports Awards had a smaller audience, starting at 10 p.m. and running onwards with a few hiccups in the program. As the night went on, the crowd thinned out.
The Sportwashing Concern
The Esports Awards in Riyadh raised concerns about “sportwashing,” or associating sports events with masking the country’s issues with human rights and other challenges like LGBTQ+ acceptance. However, industry figures believed the benefits of attending outweighed the risks amid ongoing regional tensions.
In an interview, Mike Milanov, chairman of Qiddiya Gaming and former COO of Team Liquid, discussed the positive changes in Saudi Arabia and the role of the kingdom in shaping opinions about the country.
Regarding esports growth, Milanov mentioned a steady rise in gaming populations and viewership of competitive gaming.
Winners of the Awards
The Esports Awards honored various winners:
- Malr1ne for Esports Breakthrough Player of the Year
- Teamfight Tactics for Breakthrough Game of the Year
- Several winners under the ‘Ones to Watch’ category
- S8UL Esports for Content Group of the Year
- Valorant for Esports Game of the Year
- Gods Ft. Newjeans for Esports Content of the Year
- Riot Games for Esports Game Publisher of the Year
- Liquipedia for Esports Coverage and Content Platform of the Year
- Team Liquid for Creative Team of the Year
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang for Mobile Esports Game of the Year
- Red Bull for Esports Commercial Partner of the Year
GamesBeat is a media partner for NGSC and was present at the event.
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FAQs
Q: What is the significance of the Esports Awards event in Riyadh?
A: The Esports Awards in Riyadh marked a significant milestone for the industry, recognizing achievements and contributions within the esports community.
Q: How did the event address concerns about “sportwashing”?
A: Industry figures discussed the balance between the benefits of participating in the event and potential risks associated with the country’s human rights record.
Credit: venturebeat.com
