Road to glory begins for Riot Games’ Intel Arabian Cup

The biggest edition of the Intel Arabian Cup, organized by Riot Games, has begun, with teams from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region vying for supremacy.

Riot Games has partnered with Intel, Coca-Cola, Acer (Predator), Hardee’s, Logitech, and Coda Payments (Codashop) to provide a platform for professional and amateur teams to showcase their talent over the next seven months while connecting with thousands of online fans on popular streaming platforms as part of its goal to deliver an immersive gaming event.

Luciano Rahal, Communications Manager at Riot Games MENA, said: “After months of careful planning of working towards creating an even better experience for both fans and participants, we are thrilled to see that the third edition of the Intel Arabian Cup is finally underway. 

“There’s still a long way to go before we see the champions crowned but fans can keep up to date by watching the matches live on Twitch or checking out our informative social media content at every stage of the tournament. It promises to be our most exciting tournament so far in the history of IAC with more teams in action and I encourage our gaming community to come together and watch some incredible talent across the region.”

This year’s IAC, which has the largest prize fund of $130,000 USD, began with the top-tier Prestige Division as teams compete to advance in the League of Legends game format. The expanded tournament also sees the debut of Riot Games’ popular titles WildRift and VALORANT, where amateur events will be held in June.

The Playground VALORANT tournament will also be part of the MENA VALORANT Regional Circuit (VRC), with participating teams receiving points. The teams with the most points in the VRC from June to December will advance to the MENA’s VALORANT Regional League in 2023.

Aside from the best amateur talent, the IAC has attracted some of the best professional sides from across the MENA region. Among those vying for victory in the Prestige Division Grand Finals are reigning champions Geekay Sports (KSA), Fox Gaming (Morocco), Anubis Gaming (Egypt), and Lost Esports (UAE).

Fans from across the region can watch the action unfold live on YouTube and Twitch, as stern competition and closely fought matches are expected. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram will also be updated.