Saudi Esports Federation Welcomes Razer Back to Gamers8

Razer, the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers, will be the gaming gear partner at “Gamers8: The Land of Heroes”. (SPA)
Razer, the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers, will be the gaming gear partner at “Gamers8: The Land of Heroes”. (SPA)
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Saudi Esports Federation Welcomes Razer Back to Gamers8

Razer, the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers, will be the gaming gear partner at “Gamers8: The Land of Heroes”. (SPA)
Razer, the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers, will be the gaming gear partner at “Gamers8: The Land of Heroes”. (SPA)

The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) announced on Tuesday that Razer, the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers, is to be the gaming gear partner at “Gamers8: The Land of Heroes”, the biggest gaming and esports festival worldwide.

This is the second consecutive year that SEF and Razer have collaborated for Gamers8, following the successful partnership last summer.

Organized by SEF, “Gamers8: The Land of Heroes” runs for eight weeks from July 6 and features elite esports tournaments at the purpose-built venue at Boulevard Riyadh City, as well as live concerts and numerous activities and attractions.

Razer will provide premium hardware from their range of gaming peripherals for VIPs and influencers during Gamers8, as well as having the products showcased during the esports competitions together with the company’s well-known logo on the official broadcast.

Just like last year, a unique Gamers8 x Razer collection will be sold exclusively on-site during the festival, with items from the company’s signature collection also available for purchase.

In addition, SEF and Razer will organize raffles for “Gamers8: The Land of Heroes” attendees, and fans on social media, to win some exclusive gaming gear.

Ahmed Albishri, Deputy CEO at the Saudi Esports Federation, said: “Good partnerships produce great things together, and we are delighted to welcome back Razer as gaming gear partner for another incredible eight-week spell of Gamers8 action.”

“‘Gamers8: The Land of Heroes’ is the destination for gamers this summer and we thank Razer for once again pledging their support to Saudi Arabia’s booming gaming and esports industry,” he added.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Gamers8 once again for this opportunity,” said Flo Gutierrez, Global Esports Director at Razer. "Razer is dedicated to enhancing the gaming experience for gamers worldwide and partnering with the Saudi Esports Foundation for Gamers8 is a demonstration of our commitment to supporting and celebrating the gaming community worldwide. We look forward to another amazing edition of Gamers8.”

“Gamers8: The Land of Heroes” has a prize pool of $45 million – triple that of Gamers8 last year. Full details of all the elite titles appearing at Gamers8 this summer will be released soon.

The festival concludes with the Next World Forum, a gaming and esports forum held at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Center on August 30-31, that brings together sector leaders and experts from around the world.



Russian Fines Google $78 mln for Ignoring Previous Penalties

The logo for Google is seen at a Google store in Manhattan, New York City, US, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
The logo for Google is seen at a Google store in Manhattan, New York City, US, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
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Russian Fines Google $78 mln for Ignoring Previous Penalties

The logo for Google is seen at a Google store in Manhattan, New York City, US, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
The logo for Google is seen at a Google store in Manhattan, New York City, US, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

A Russian court fined Alphabet's Google 8 billion roubles ($77.9 million) on Tuesday for not complying with previous penalty orders, the Moscow courts press service said on Telegram.

Russia has for several years ordered foreign technology platforms to remove content it deems illegal, issuing small but persistent fines when it sees failures to comply. Tuesday's fine marked a significant increase on fines of around 4 million roubles that are usually levied.

The Chertanovo District Court in Moscow said Tuesday's fine had been issued for Google's failure to comply with an administrative punishment. It did not specify which administrative offence the fine was in relation too, Reuters reported.

YouTube has drawn particular ire for hosting content Moscow objects to. The video platform used to attract around 50 million daily users in Russia, but those numbers have dropped to around 12 million, according to Google data.

Critics accuse the Russian authorities of

deliberately disrupting

YouTube's download speeds to prevent Russians from viewing content there that is opposed to President Vladimir Putin and his government.

Russia denies that, saying the issues are caused by Google's failure to upgrade equipment - a charge disputed by the company and technology experts.

Putin in December accused Google of being a tool used by the US government to score political points.