"The future for esports in Saudi Arabia is limitless" – Soniqs Esports Claim PUBG Global Series 2 Crown And $600,000 Top Prize At Gamers8: The Land of Heroes

Riyadh, August 20, 2023: 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.

Gamers8 PGS2 winner
Soniqs Esports: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner │© Gamers8

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.

Tanja Haimerl

Tanja is obsessed with gripping stories in all kinds of media: games, TV shows and books alike. She did her Bachelor's thesis on The Last of Us, got her degree in media studies thanks to that and can't stop talking about it....