The power-packed Dubai Esports and Games Festival (DEF) 2025 wrapped up the region’s largest and most exciting esports and gaming festival in spectacular style this past weekend, with the flagship GameExpo event delivering a high-energy finale that blended endless excitement, non-stop tech innovation, pop culture fun, and family-friendly entertainment. Organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), the must-visit event welcomed thousands of visitors from families and friends to casual gamers and esports enthusiasts to Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) for three epic days of non-stop action, creativity, and immersive experiences.

GameExpo 2025 kept the excitement going from afternoon to night, giving everyone the chance to witness, play, and win all weekend across everything from competitive faceoffs and challenges on crowd-favourite gaming titles to all-female matchups, groundbreaking gaming tech, and so much more. Squads from across the city rallied together to explore fresh new gaming zones, thrilling live tournaments, creative cosplay competitions, cutting-edge gaming gear, interactive brand activations, and meet-ups with gaming legends – all designed to bring people together through shared play and excitement. GameExpo wasn’t just about play – it was about pushing boundaries, embracing new innovations, and creating unforgettable moments for one and all.

HIGH-ENERGY HIGHLIGHTS AND EPIC MOMENTS

Families flocked to the Emirates NBD Family Zone, where younger players enjoyed inclusive activities and interactive play across gaming consoles such as XBOX and PlayStation as well as the exclusive Emirates NBD Fortnite Map, in addition to racing simulators, custom Fortnite maps, and more. The Just Dance Zone had the crowd moving with live dance-offs and the grand finale of the Dubai Just Dance Championship, with winners grooving away with a Nintendo Switch, ASUS monitor, Dubai attraction tickets, and Modesh goodie bags. The Gaming District featured 9 themed towers with over 100 devices across PC and consoles, spotlighting the best in PC and console gaming including standout titles like Darkness Road and ENCI Solution by UAE homegrown PC game developers Foxrito and Dark Emerald Studio respectively. Meanwhile The Narrows, GameExpo’s artist alley, buzzed with over 70 handcrafted and gaming-inspired stalls from emerging UAE businesses, offering exclusive collectibles and gear. The Modesh Retro Zone brought together legendary arcade machines like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Donkey Kong, while hosting an epic remote control racing challenge on a custom-built track by Otaku ME, along with an immersive building experience in a dedicated workshop space. Attendees also had the chance to win exciting giveaways of exclusive Modesh merchandise in fun competitions throughout the day, in addition to meeting Modesh himself in special appearances. Players and spectators alike felt the adrenaline surge at the GameExpo Main Arena, with front-row seats to high-energy tournaments, hands-on excitement, and the most anticipated moments of the event – including premier competitions featuring top titles such as EA FC 25, Tekken 8, Valorant, and Fortnite. Attendees recharged in the lively talabat F&B Zones, adding to the vibrant, festival-like atmosphere.

INFLUENCER FACE-OFFS

Play Beyond, the region’s leading influencer gaming tournament turned up the heat with electrifying matchups between the region’s biggest gaming personalities on 10 and 11 May. MENA’s top influencer AboFlah returned to GameExpo, joining forces with Sultan Khalifa, Nasr Esports Academy, 6th_kage, Khaled Dego, Sonson.Platinum, and AWYA for adrenaline-pumping battles and interactive challenges that had the crowd roaring. Fans cheered on their favourites, engaged with content creators, and got in on the action themselves. After two days of fierce competition, Nasr Esports Academy emerged victorious, lifting the coveted Play Beyond trophy and securing ultimate bragging rights.

CHARACTERS, ASSEMBLE!

All levels of cosplayers joined in this vibrant subculture of gaming, stealing the spotlight at the Dubai Cosplay Championship on 11 May. Top talents dazzled with show-stopping transformations and competed for a share of the AED 30,000 prize pool. Judged by a star-studded panel including @sabcosplay, @mingmihoo, @vegacosplay, and @sayochuu, the championship was a standout celebration of artistry and fandom. Winners included Evgenii Aleksandrov, who claimed first spot in the solo category; Ahmed Serag, recognised for Best Craft; Sofiane Touchene, awarded for Best Show; and Rana and Fatima Al Yousif who earned top honours in the group segment – all celebrated for their incredible creativity, craftsmanship, and crowd appeal.

CONNECTED AND IMMERSIVE LIKE NEVER BEFORE

For the first time ever, GameExpo teamed up with TikTok MENA to bring fans across the region front-row access to all the action. The platform live streamed tournament coverage and gameplay highlights from Valorant, Fortnite, Minecraft, Tekken 8, Fall Guys, Chained Together, and FC25, ensuring audiences could catch every epic moment, whether at home or on the move.

One of the weekend’s most empowering and inclusive moments was a thrilling all-female Valorant showmatch, supported by Benefit. Leading regional female esports athletes from the University of Wollongong and Princess Noura University went head-to-head in a power-packed clash, electrifying the crowd with sharp strategy, fearless plays, and undeniable passion.

Standout tournaments such as the Yalla Ludo Challenge, high-energy Red Bull matchups, and True Gamers Tournament drew large crowds and fierce competition to the DEF Main Stage with pulse-pounding finals. In a proud moment for the country, the regional FC25 Dubai Cup in partnership with PlayStation crowned a winner from the UAE who emerged victorious after intense knockout rounds with a staggering 31,000 participants from across the GCC. Adding to the energy on-ground, families came together for the Bloom World Academy Minecraft Family Challenge, a fun and collaborative competition designed for parents and children to test their teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity skills for a chance to win fantastic prizes.

CUTTING-EDGE INNOVATION FROM LEADING BRANDS

DEF showcased some of the latest and greatest innovations that had gamers buzzing, including immersive, cutting-edge activations from global giants and regional powerhouses that reinforced Dubai’s rising status as a hub for gaming culture and industry innovation.

ASUS made waves with their global product announcement of the ROG ASTRAL RTX 5090 Dhahab Edition and showcased their high-performance Strix SCAR 5090 Series live in action. Bitget and SWEAT announced their strategic partnership to boost movement economy in Web3, transforming daily movement into crypto rewards. And in a moment that had retro fans buzzing, Red Bull teased the Red Bull Tetris Global Challenge, with the final clash set to take place in December.

Several other brands brought the excitement to life, from tech and lifestyle to beauty and banking – including AI Vista Photobooth, Anigma, Antifreeze – Immersionica, Arab Hardware, ASUS ROG, Benefit, du, Dubai Police, Emirates NBD, Geekay, Gillette, LG, Nasr Esports Academy, PlayStation, Rove Hotels, PubG Mobile, The Vintage Company, Ultra PC Gamers, Virgin Radio, and more. Attendees were able to experience cutting-edge gaming gear firsthand, from powerful PCs and consoles to tech designed to bring their gameplay to the next level.

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION

School spirit lit up DEF’s Education Day at GameExpo on 8 May, as more than 6,000 students and educators from across the UAE gathered for a vibrant day of competition, creativity, and immersive learning. Participants vied for AED 50,000 in prizes through high-stakes challenges including the ENBD Fortnite Quest, the Minecraft Education Challenge, and the Game Changers competition. The day also celebrated future-forward thinking with the GameOn with HP Gaming Garage hackathon, alongside expert-led workshops by Microsoft and Unreal Engine, and hands-on experiences like The Amazon Joy Quest, meeting Dubai Police, and trying out thousands of retro and new games.

DEF’s GameExpo 2025 wasn’t just any other event; it was a weekend-long celebration of gaming, tech, and community, bringing together players, creators, and brands unlike any other gaming gathering in the city. With Dubai well on its way to becoming a global hub for gaming and esports, GameExpo was the perfect showcase for this high-energy future.

Dubai Esports and Games Festival (DEF) 2025 was supported by Strategic Partners which include: Amazon, du, Dubai Police, Dubai Sports Council, Emirates NBD, Red Bull, Rove, Roxy Cinemas, talabat, and Virgin Radio.

To catch the highlights of Dubai Esports and Games Festival, please visit the DEF 2025 website and follow @DubaiFestivals on Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.