• UAE will have more than 1.7 million video game fans in 2027, who will be mostly Generation Z youth.

The esports competition between universities across the MENA region is about to start in the UAE. College students from all over the country may be part of UNIVERSITY Esports, which brings a lot of novelties for its upcoming 2024/25 season: new tournaments and educational experiences are awaiting for pupils!

Registrations for the first split are already open. Youth interested in participating and demonstrating their competitive skills can now sign up for the two games of this season, VALORANT and League of Legends, starting the early week of November until mid-November.

Furthermore, the 2024/25 season of UNIVERSITY Esports is coming with the company of a new partner. ExitLag, the first AI-powered game optimization platform that maps out various data routes to enhance and improve the gamer experience, joins as the new official sponsor of the competition in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, also reinforcing its international presence in the MENA region.

In the words of Mario Pérez, CEO of MENATech Entertainment, UNIVERSITY Esports’ organizer company: “We are very excited about the beginning of the new season of UNIVERSITY Esports. After three successful editions in MENA, the competition has reached its maturity stage, positioning itself as a solid esports program in the region that blends video games, education and entertainment. Thanks to ExitLag, UNIVERSITY Esports takes a step ahead and will be able to enhance the student gaming experience this season through its AI optimization platform.”

From now on, ExitLag will be visible in all the competitions and activities organized, both in physical events and in their streaming broadcasts. In addition, the brand will also be present in the communications of UNIVERSITY Esports through social networks and on their websites.

Developed from the ground up by gamers for gamers

ExitLag is a technology that uses AI to optimize data routing by instantly mapping multiple routes and sending the packet through the optimal route. In the event that one route becomes unstable, the others spring into action to keep the game connection uninterrupted.

ExitLag has a worldwide network of servers spread across all continents that optimize connections from anywhere to anywhere. In this way, no one will be disadvantaged by a bad connection and fair play is guaranteed from anywhere in the world.

Young people are gamers

College students, integrated within Generation Z, have an undeniable interest in gaming, which is positioned as one of the fastest growing forms of entertainment globally. According to different international studies, young people represent around one third of the world's population and their influence on the industry is becoming important. It is estimated that more than 3 billion people will be gamers in 2025 worldwide.

The statistical portal Statista indicates that the UAE will exceed 1.7 million video game fans in 2027. This same source also indicates that the annual revenue of the national gaming market will be €421 million in 2024 and forecasts that turnover will grow to over €493 million by 2027.

About UNIVERSITY Esports

UNIVERSITY Esports is the world's largest esports and gaming project in the university environment. Organized by GGTech Entertainment, it provides a competitive environment accessible to all university students and offers specialized training in the esports sector, providing exposure to a wide range of professional opportunities. UNIVERSITY Esports attracts over 100,000 students from more than 2,000 universities in 26 countries on 4 continents. For more information, visit universityesports.ae.

About GGTech Entertainment

GGTech Entertainment is an international company with presence in Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East and North Africa, committed to the development of innovative projects for leisure, entertainment and education, through gaming, esports and technology. The company is committed to innovation, applied technology and interactive environments and offers a wide range of technological solutions to promote the development of society, providing its users with a highly customisable and very high quality gaming experience. For more details, please visit: ggtech.gg.