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BLAST Premier World finals 2022 will take place in Abu Dhabi

The BLAST Premier World Final, a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive professional esports league, will take place in December 2022 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, BLAST announced on Thursday.

A $1 million prize pool, as well as the chance to be crowned the 2022 Counter-Strike champions, is open to the top eight CS:GO teams in the world. The event will be held at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island from December 14 to 18. The tournament’s ticket prices and live audience dates will be revealed shortly.

This year’s World Final will be the seventh and final event in the BLAST Premier tournament series, as well as the focal point of the global CS:GO calendar. Teams that win the Spring and Fall Seasons, as well as the top four teams on the Race to the World Final Leaderboard, advance to the BLAST Premier World Final. The ESL Season 16 and ESL Rio Major winners will round out the lineup.

The UAE capital, according to BLAST Premier managing director Charlotte Kenny, is an ideal location for the tournament due to its successful history of hosting major international events.

“As part of our host cities process, we are always on the lookout for leading locations and arenas all around the world, Abu Dhabi is the perfect location to follow on from this month’s highly successful Spring Final in Lisbon and November’s Fall Final in Copenhagen,” said Kenny.

“The World Final will follow in the footsteps of popular sports such as UFC, F1 and NBA in hosting major events in Abu Dhabi and the remarkable Etihad Arena provides the perfect stage for our World Final event.”

The director also reiterated BLAST’s unwavering commitment to reaching new audiences and providing incredible esports experiences, which inspired its partnership with UAE’s Abu Dhabi Gaming.

“Esports 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.” Kenny continued.

Abu Dhabi Gaming partnership

As part of a three-year agreement, BLAST will collaborate with Abu Dhabi Gaming, a project funded by the Abu Dhabi government to help create an “esports and gaming ecosystem” in the region. The partnership is intended to aid in the live broadcast of the tournament.

Abu Dhabi Gaming has brought over 30 game developers to the capital since its inception in 2021, providing them with world-class industry support to fuel their Emirate success stories. The collaboration with BLAST will be highly beneficial, according to James Hartt, director of strategic partnerships at Abu Dhabi Gaming, with BLAST being regarded as one of the best international leaders in the esports industry.

“BLAST is truly a world leader in the esports industry, so their commitment to Abu Dhabi perfectly demonstrates the scale and impact of the Emirate’s growing gaming and esports sector, both in terms of the industry and the player community,” said Hartt.

“Crucially, it also shows a deep trust in the growth and untapped potential that Abu Dhabi has to offer. Through the incredibly exciting CS:GO World Final, this latest partnership augments Abu Dhabi’s status as a global centre for the creative industries and will drive the long-term development of this strategically important sector.”