RIYADH — The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) will close out the elite side of this year’s Gamers Without Borders festival with a world first — the biggest charity event in the history of gaming-favourite PUBG Mobile, the PUBG Mobile World Invitational powered by Gamers Without Borders. Backed by an enormous $3million charity prize-fund, the four-day epic will close out six weeks of elite series action as part of the nine-week COVID-19 fundraiser and is predicted to attract more than 60 of the best PUBG Mobile gamers on the planet. To be broadcast live on Gamers Without Borders’ channels, the Invitational will take place July 22-25 and will see two different tournaments run concurrently, in separate Eastern and Western divisions. The Eastern division will see the best of Middle East and Asia go head-to-head in the knock-out contest, while the Western will pit Europe’s leading PUBG Mobile esports athletes against their Americas-based rivals. PUBG mobile World Invitationals are the defining battlegrounds for esports athletes, teams and franchises who specialize in PUBG mobile, hence hold considerable weight in international esports. The PUBG Mobile World Invitational powered by Gamers Without Borders is a considerable feather-in-the-cap for both the festival itself and organizers the Saudi Esports Federation, as the series immediately ranks as both the first ever Tencent-backed Global PUBG mobile Invitational played for charity, and the biggest charity esports event PUBG mobile has ever done. Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Sultan, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, said: “This is a great partnership for Gamers Without Borders and for what we, as a Federation, are looking to achieve on a global scale. “PUBG Mobile World Invitationals are where it matters to PUBG Mobile gamers, so to be able to host one as part of our signature charity event is fantastic reward for the hard-work everyone at the Saudi Esports Federation has put into getting here and helping establish the Kingdom and the Federation as a global esports and gaming hub.” When the tournament gets under way, stcplay will sponsor its Elite Play of the Match award. Being co-streamed by both Gamers Without Borders and Tencent, every second of the action will be broadcast in more than 13 different languages to a truly global audience. — SG