As an esports event, ESS rose even higher during the COVID pandemic and proved that, as an industry, esports can be a sustainable and adaptable form of networking and entertainment.
In 2020, when the entire world stopped due to COVID, and when all the hangouts closed, and movies, shows, and offline events were cancelled or postponed indefinitely, esports thrived and forged on.
esports taking over during the pandemic
In a time when social distancing and physical networking were enforced, esports happily took over and allowed for online networking and communication, and online events.
When COVID hit, the time spent at home increased by 11.7%, and the amount of watched live-streamed gaming content reached 1,460 billion minutes by 2021.
“Animated space exploration drama gorgeous animation with an exciting and emotional story Collection of weapons is genuinely cool of its same levels is satisfying”Carolyn OrtizManager
In these tough times, esports flourished due to its virtual and digital nature, and this was proved by the many esports tournaments and competitions that shifted completely online, and Esports Summit is one of these events in the MENA region, which transitioned to being online for two editions (2020 and 2021) and boasted record-breaking numbers and insights.
In a region that has 70% internet penetration, with countries like Egypt, UAE, KSA, and Bahrain exceeding 90%, the decision to go online by the Summit’s leadership was definitely the right one.
ess provides a virtual gathering for gamers
The Esports Summit (ESS) is a live example of how the gaming and esports communities could still have an esports event online, gather virtually, compete, have fun, and win.
The decision to shift ESS from an offline event to a fully online experience resulted from the founders’ insights into the community and knowledge that now was not the time to become separated, but to come together… and come together they did.
A fully digital ess
For ESS 2020, the fully online competitions achieved +10,000 registrations, +123,000 unique website visitors, +2.9 million views, and reached more than 15 million people. As for ESS 2021, the numbers only continued to grow with +19,000 registrations, +164,000 unique website visitors, +4.2 million views, and managed to reach more than 21.5 million people in the MENA region.
Both online editions also featured a whole new level of game analysis where new tools were introduced to take the viewing and gameplay analysis experience to the next level, such as the “Flip Screen” Replay System that enabled analysts to highlight key moments, important gameplays, and performance insights, thus ensuring the whole experience was fun, interactive, and entertaining.
During its online editions, Esports Summit has proven that esports can forge its path regardless of the challenges and circumstances, and that it is quickly becoming one of the biggest industries, especially in MENA, where its potential and awareness have risen to the extent that Arab countries, such as the UAE and KSA, are becoming well-known esports hubs.
ess 2025: the awaited comeback
And now, for 2025, ESS is returning with its fifth edition featuring online qualifiers and offline followers.
So, brace yourselves for the return of the biggest esports event in Egypt.