The future for esports in Saudi Arabia is limitless’ – Soniqs Esports claim PUBG Global Series 2 crown and $600,000 top prize at Gamers8

Soniqs Esports claimed PUBG Global Series 2 (PGS2) glory on Sunday night at Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, the biggest gaming and esports festival worldwide, to earn the coveted tournament trophy and top prize of $600,000.

Eleven days of adrenaline-fueled excitement saw 24 of the planet’s very best teams battle it out for survival, supremacy, and their share of the $2 million prize pool at Boulevard Riyadh City. 

Soniqs – featuring Americans hwinn, M1ME, Shrimzy, Gunner, and Australian TGLTN – claimed top spot, pipping Saudi Arabian team Twisted Minds, who earned $260,000 for their exploits, into second place. Question Mark, who took $162,000, finished third. 

Hwinn said: “It feels good. It feels deserved. The win came from confidence and trust – trust in the process and trust in the team. The consistency of getting the late game and just keeping the vibe between games and making sure we were focusing on the next game and not worrying too much about the past was also key. 

“It feels good – there’s not really any other way to put it. I think we've been working really hard, so it does feel like we have earned it. The prize pool is amazing, I know the guys are very happy, but personally for me it's just pride in winning. We want to keep winning and we want to be the best and solidify ourselves as the best PUBG team ever.” 

The 29-year-old American also praised Gamers8 as “the best experience to date” of his gaming career. 

Hwinn added: “It’s been amazing. This whole thing's been a grand spectacle. I think the future (for Saudi Arabia and gaming and esports) is limitless. I'm super excited to be playing in future tournaments here.

“Saudi Arabia's a wonderful country – the food’s great, the people are friendly. With Gamers8, the whole thing they've built here is just amazing.

“It's awesome to see the growth of esports, especially in this country. I do believe esports is the future – this generation loves it and there's so much potential to a game like PUBG. If they keep posting events like this, then we'll keep showing up.” 

Showcasing their excellent team spirit, Soniqs also took an extra $20,000 for most WWCD overall (that’s Winner Winner Chicken Dinner for the non-gamers!) during the PGS2 spectacular in Riyadh. TGLTN also earned an extra $20,000 as MVP (Finals) and another $10,000 for most kills (Finals). 

Asked what his message would be for young PUBG gamers dreaming of being tournament champions like them one day, hwinn replied: “My advice to aspiring esports players is to focus on being healthy. Have a healthy mindset and go to the gym. Work on being the best teammate that you can be – it's not all about skill, it's about how good a team play you have.” 

PUBG Global Series 2 (PGS2) Gamers8: The Land of Heroes recap

The tournament was the second major championship of the 2023 competitive season organized by PUBG Corporation and the first to be held under the new 2023 SUPER Regulations. All matches were played on the Taego map, the eighth playable map created for PUBG: Battlegrounds, with three groups of eight teams in the tournament’s group stage. 

The objective? Simple: secure victory and glory by parachuting onto a remote island and emerging as the last player or team standing. 

One of the best battle royale games ever, PUBG: Battlegrounds pits up to 100 players against each other as they drop onto a shrinking battleground and seek to prevail as the last survivors. While scavenging for weapons and equipment needed to survive and neutralize opponents, the available safe area of the game’s map decreases in size over time, directing surviving players into an ever-tightening space that forces thrilling, edge-of-your-seat encounters. 

At Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, the top 16 teams advanced to the Winners Bracket, which consisted of 12 matches over two days, with the bottom eight placed into the Losers Bracket. The top eight teams from each bracket advanced to the Grand Finals, where 18 matches determined Soniqs as the PUBG Global Series 2 (PGS2) champions. 

Gamers8: The Land of Heroes recap

Gamers8: The Land of Heroes is taking place at Boulevard Riyadh City throughout July and August and has a prize pool of $45 million – triple that of Gamers8 last year. The biggest gaming and esports festival worldwide features elite gaming titles alongside live concerts from top global, regional, and local artists, as well as numerous fun-filled activities and attractions for all the family.

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.