Yas Gaming Festival returns to Abu Dhabi after three-year absence

The 10-day festival will feature gaming stations, tournaments and esports

Yas Gaming Month returns with plenty of action next month. Photo: Yas Mall

Gamers in the capital have the chance to show off their skills when Yas Gaming Month comes to Yas Mall in July.

After two successful runs in 2018 and 2019, the free Yas Gaming Festival is back. The immersive event, which takes place from July 7 to 17, will have Yas Mall's Sports Boulevard area transformed to include gaming stations, hands-on play, tournaments and esports.

Visitors can expect the latest titles from PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo (such as Elden Ring, Halo Infinite, WWE 2k22 and Mario Kart 8) alongside a retro gaming section, which will offer the chance to play throwback games such as Pac-Man, Asteroids or Street Fighter.

There will also be a cosplay competition, welcoming lovers of all things film, TV, games or books and the outfits to match.

Coinciding with the end of the festival will be the V10 R-League, which will have its semi-finals, bronze medal match and final of the racing league season played on July 22 and 23.

Teams will battle it out for a prize pool of £100,000 (Dh450,000). Sim racing teams competing include Mercedes AMG Esports, Red Bull Racing Esports, Aston Martin Esports and the UAE's own Yas Heat.

Even for those who aren’t participating, there will also be plenty to do. Visitors can donate old games and consoles or buy pre-owned ones from Gaming4Good, with all proceeds going to the Emirates Autism Centre.

The event is being held in collaboration with AD Gaming, which was launched in 2021 to support Abu Dhabi's drive to build a thriving gaming and esports ecosystem.

The gaming industry has continued to thrive globally and is one of the sectors being prioritised in the UAE's 10-year National Strategy for the Cultural and Creative Industries.

Scroll the gallery below to see cosplay from this year's Middle East Film and Comic Con: