Big news for Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) fans in MENA! YaLLa Esports, the top esports organizer in the UAE, is making their tournament even bigger in 2025.
Called “YaLLa Compass,” the 2nd edition of this tournament will now feature two big LAN events instead of just one.
And the prize money has more than tripled! Players will now be competing for a whopping $1.5 million in total. That’s a huge jump from last year’s $450,000 prize pool at Abu Dhabi.
Schedule of YaLLa Compass 2025
YaLLa Compass 2025 will host two S-tier CS2 LAN events across two cities in the Middle East (MENA Region).
The first LAN event is scheduled for Q2 2025, with open qualifications beginning on July 29th, 2024.
There will be more chances to qualify. Two additional qualifiers will take place in Q4 2024 and Q1 2025, providing multiple opportunities for teams to secure their spots in the closed qualifiers leading up to the first main event.
The schedule for the 2nd LAN event and the location of both events will be announced soon.
How Successful Was the Previous YaLLa Compass Event?
The inaugural YaLLa Compass tournament in 2024 at Abu Dhabi proved to be a resounding success.
According to Esports Charts, the event attracted peak viewing figures of 163,139 and garnered nearly 3 million hours watched across its 42-hour airtime.
That’s not all – the whole season reached a mind-blowing 50 million views across 30 different broadcasts in 15 languages.
The excitement wasn’t just online either. More than 2,000 fans packed the arena to watch 12 of the world’s best CS2 teams duke it out.
Klaus Kajetski, Founder and CEO of YaLLa Esports, expressed his enthusiasm for the expansion, stating:
“Building on the incredible growth of esports in MENA in 2024 and the success of the first Compass season, YaLLa Compass promises an even bigger and better experience. With a larger prize pool, two LAN events, and a continued focus on creating a truly global esports experience, YaLLa Compass is solidifying its position as an S-tier tournament not only in the MENA region but on the international stage.”
How Do Valve’s New CS2 Esports Rules Impact YaLLa Compass?
The expansion of YaLLa Compass aligns with Valve’s recent changes to the CS2 esports ecosystem.
In 2023, Valve announced several modifications and recently launched a detailed rulebook for 2025 events. These new guidelines aim to create a more open and competitive environment.
Key points of Valve’s new rules include:
- Early scheduling: For the 2025 event, organizers must announce their event schedules before September 1st, 2024, ensuring a stable and predictable calendar.
- Open qualifiers: Team invitations must be based on Valve’s ranking system or open qualifiers, moving away from exclusive partnerships.
- Level playing field: The new system aims to create an “open ecosystem” where a team’s success is primarily determined by their ability rather than business relationships.
Major organizations like BLAST and PGL have already aligned with these guidelines by announcing their 2025 schedules in accordance with Valve’s directive.
These changes provide opportunities for smaller organizers like YaLLa Esports to attract top money-making teams and grow their events.
For more information, visit the official YaLLa Esports website. And remember to subscribe to Gaming Foodle for more news!
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