Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Nasser Al Thani, Chief Commercial Officer at Ooredoo; Mohammed Khalifa Al Suwaidi, CEO of Aspire Zone Foundation, and other officials at the press conference.
Doha: Ushering in the new era in eSports, Ooredoo will host the EA Sports FIFA22 Champions Cup on May 24, 25 and 28, with the entire event being broadcast in the metaverse. It will also be launching a range of exclusive non-fungible tokens (NFTs) from its own eSports brand, Ooredoo Nation – Gamers’ Land.
The first-of-its-kind event in the region, being organised in partnership with Dell Technology and powered by Quest, will take place at the Aspire Ladies Sports Hall in Doha in front of a live audience and spectators. Major FIFA and Qatari influencers will be in attendance, with entertainment and activations ensuring fun for everyone.
“We are proud and excited to be venturing into the world of Web 3.0 technologies with this latest eSports development, which aligns perfectly with our strategic commitment to investment in innovation. We see eSports as one of the key areas of focus in this digital era, and an area in which we can explore the many opportunities to offer our customers an unrivalled experience,” said Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Nasser Al Thani, Chief Commercial Officer at Ooredoo, addressing the press conference held at Ooredoo Tower on Thursday.
“The metaverse is still in its infancy, with phenomenal potential, and we are excited to show everyone just what we can do. We look forward to a thrilling tournament, and to a hugely enhanced fan experience for everyone involved. Best of luck to all the players, and we hope everyone enjoys the event,” he added.
The tournament will see 12 top EA Sports FIFA22 players compete alongside four regional players who qualified via Ooredoo Nation – Gamers’ Land online qualifying games.
The EA Sports FIFA22 Champions Cup has a prize pool of $50,000, where the winner will walk away with $25,000, second place player wins $15,000 and third and fourth placed players get $5,000.
Fans will be placed in virtual viewing spaces from where they can watch the event, having created their own avatars with customised eSports jerseys. They will be able to interact, send emojis, voice chat in virtual chatrooms, take virtual selfies and experience the games as an interactive audience.
Players will have a virtual hallway that displays their pictures as Champions Cup ‘Hall of Famers’.
Mohammed Khalifa Al Suwaidi, CEO of Aspire Zone Foundation, said: “We are proud of our co-operation with Ooredoo, bringing both organisations together to host this tournament in one of Aspire’s sports facilities. We are also pleased to be contributing to this great and important development in the field of eSports using metaverse technologies, all while attracting many different age groups. We wish every success to all the organisers and participants, and to those who will contribute to this tournament.”
The event, which will allow the audience a glimpse into how important eSports will be in the metaverse, will feature digital merchandise, online ticketing and a cutting-edge immersive viewing experience. A free NFT, uniquely created for each attendee by Ooredoo Nation – Gamers’ Land and minted after the free e-ticket is booked, will be given to everyone planning to attend the event.
NFT holders will get access to exclusive benefits such as a meet and greet with players and influencers, giveaways, event activations and more. They will also be able to access the custom-made metaverse viewing space designed and created by Ooredoo Nation – Gamers’ Land.
Gates will open at 5.30pm on May 24 and 25, and at 2.30pm on 28th. The EA Sports FIFA22 Champions Cup will be broadcast on Ooredoo TV channel 0 and in VR. The 3-day event will also be streamed live on YouTube with top-tier commentating in both Arabic and English.
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