• BLAST partners with AD Gaming to stage BLAST Premier’s biggest event of the year where the world’s eight best Counter-Strike teams will meet in Abu Dhabi in December.
• The annual tournament will take place at Yas Island’s Etihad Arena in front of a live audience, with this year’s edition running between 14th-18th December.
• Tickets to the World Final will be announced at a later date.

BLAST has partnered with ADGaming – a pioneering gaming and esports initiative - to bring its prestigious global esports tournament, the BLAST Premier World Final, for the first time to Abu Dhabi later this year as part of a landmark three-year partnership.

Hosted at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, the BLAST Premier World Final will run from 14th-18th December and will feature eight of the world’s best esports organisations for the prestigious World Final trophy as they aim to claim a slice of the $1 million prize pool and a chance to claim bragging rights as the champions of Counter-Strike in 2022.

Information on tickets and live audience dates for the tournament will be announced at a later date.

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 Fall 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 esports experiences in state-of-the-art arenas for both teams and spectators.

Charlotte Kenny, Managing Director of BLAST Premier, said: “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. 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.

“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.”

The event aligns with ADGaming’s wider strategy and commitment to aggregate Abu Dhabi’s drive to build a thriving gaming and esports 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: “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. 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.”

“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.”

Taghrid Alsaeed, Executive Director of Group Communications and Marketing Strategy at Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading creator of immersive destination and attractions, said: “We are proud to host the BLAST Premier World Final on Yas Island at Etihad Arena. Yas Island has become a top destination for events and having this event as well is a testament to achieving our vision of positioning the island as a top global destination for entertainment and leisure. We look forward to welcoming fans to this exciting tournament.”