Abu Dhabi to host Blast Premier World Final

Blast has partnered with AD Gaming, a pioneering gaming and e-sports initiative, to bring its global e-sports tournament, the Blast Premier World Final, to Abu Dhabi later this year as part of a three-year tie-up.

To be hosted at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, the Blast Premier World Final will run from December 14-18 featuring eight of the world’s best e-sports organisations competing for the prestigious World Final trophy and to claim a slice of the US$1 million prize pool.

They'll also be vying for bragging rights as the champions of Counter-Strike in 2022.

The World Final will be the seventh and last event of the Blast Premier tournament series and is the culmination of the 2022 global CS:GO calendar. Split across two seasons, Blast Premier offers a place in the World Final for teams who triumph in the Spring and Autumn seasons, as well as the top four teams on the ‘Race to the World Final Leaderboard’. The line-up will be completed with the winners of ESL Season 16 and the ESL Rio Major.

FaZe Clan was the first team to book their ticket to Abu Dhabi after triumphing in the ESL Pro League Season 15 and winning the PGL Antwerp Major, while NAVI were the latest to qualify having won the Spring Final in Lisbon last week.

With the UAE capital named as the new host city, the announcement aligns with Blast’s on-going commitment to reaching new audiences and delivering incredible e-sports experiences in state-of-the-art arenas for both teams and spectators.

Charlotte Kenny, Managing Director of Blast Premier, said, "E-sports and the gaming sectors are growing at a rapid pace in the Middle East with hundreds of thousands of people engaged with gaming, as either players or spectators. Blast is committed to bringing our best-in-class shows to all corners of the globe and we are proud to be working with AD Gaming to provide the Blast Premier World Final in Abu Dhabi."

The event aligns with AD Gaming’s wider strategy and commitment to aggregate Abu Dhabi’s drive to build a thriving gaming and e-sports ecosystem, and continue to promote the city as a global gaming hub.

Since being established in 2021, AD Gaming has brought over 30 game developers into the capital, providing them world class industry support to fuel their success stories from the Emirate whilst generating countless opportunities for local and international talent, both now and in the future in this booming industry.

James Hartt, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Abu Dhabi Gaming, added, "We look forward to welcoming the best teams, players and fans to Abu Dhabi later this year in what will be a historic occasion for everyone involved."