A Saudi-hosted international computer games tournament is back for a second season, pledging to donate $10m to support the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.
Gamers Without Borders, a nine-week online e-sports festival that kicked off on 7th June, is hoping to build on the success of its inaugural edition, which last year saw more than 460,000 players from 141 countries competing in popular video games such as Fortnite, Call of Duty and Fifa 20.
US rapper Snoop Dogg, British singer Liam Payne, and Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold were among the celebrities who took part in the 2020 contest, helping to raise $10m for UNICEF, the Gavi vaccine alliance, and two iNGOs, Direct Relief and the International Medical Corps.
This year’s event will feature a six-week elite series with livestreamed games, concerts, and magazine shows. Winners of the elite series will gift their prize money to the event’s chosen charities, but all participants will be encouraged to show their support with online donations.
Gamers Without Borders was created by the Saudi Esports Foundation with production support from ESL Gaming, the world’s largest esports and gaming lifestyle company. - PA
