Savvy Games Group Strategy

Savvy Games Group strategy is one of the national strategies aimed at enabling and supporting electronic games and esports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was announced by the Crown Prince and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Savvy Games Group, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, on September 29, 2022. He stated, 'Savvy is one part of our ambitious strategy aiming to make the Kingdom the global hub for the games and esports sector by 2030.'

He added, 'We are harnessing the immense potential across the esports and games sector to diversify our economy, drive innovation in the sector, and further scale the entertainment and esports competition offerings across the Kingdom.'

Savvy Games Group Strategy, owned by the Public Investment Fund, aims to drive growth by investing in the gaming and esports sector, providing participation opportunities, establishing partnerships in the electronic gaming sector, and developing a long-term investment plan. Additionally, it seeks to effectively employ capital within the sector and enhance the player experience.

The group is set to invest in programs and infrastructure both locally and internationally, with the aim of providing training, education, and entrepreneurship opportunities. Additionally, it seeks to attract global companies to the Kingdom through investments and partnerships that contribute to skill development, knowledge transfer, and capacity building within the ecosystem.

The group will establish 250 game companies in the Kingdom, which will create 39,000 jobs and raise the sector's gross domestic product (GDP) contribution to SAR50 billion by 2030.

The strategy is based on four fundamental pillars: enhancing returns, creating local impact, leaving a global footprint, and expanding. The group will lead global investments in the fields of gaming and esports, generating sustainable returns. Additionally, the group will contribute to attracting talent and expertise to the Kingdom, leveraging its distinguished geographical position to build a global center for the gaming and esports sector.

The Savvy Games Group Strategy involves investments totaling approximately SAR142 billion, allocated across four programs covering various types of investments and acquisitions. These include SAR50 billion earmarked for the acquisition and development of a leading game publisher to become an effective strategic development partner. This includes SAR70 billion invested for acquiring minority stakes in key companies that support the group’s plans in the game development and esports sector. Moreover, SAR2 billion is allocated to diversified investments in innovative emerging companies with the aim of developing games and electronic sports. Also, SAR20 billion is invested to participate in well-established companies in the sector that align with the group's strategy.

The strategy will be implemented by five subsidiaries of the group, each with an independent business model and diverse strategic visions in the industry. These subsidiaries are:

(EFG) Company, Savvy’s esports arm, was established following Savvy’s acquisition of the ESL and FACEIT groups. This merger has formed a significant part of the global competitive gaming ecosystem. EFG leverages ESL’s expertise in building, broadcasting, and commercializing premium content, and combines it with FACEIT’s capabilities as a best-in-class online platform.

(Nine66) Company is dedicated to creating an integrated work system to empower game developers by providing the necessary infrastructure, developing skills, increasing opportunities for partnerships, and offering financial and advisory support to game development studios and both local and international developers. The company also provides game publishing services in Middle Eastern markets, enabling global developers to access regional markets.

(VOV) Company, specializing in building gaming and competition venues, aims to develop skills and provide a healthy environment for players and practitioners by building a series of quality venues that consider the comprehensive health and care for practitioners, in a step that is the first of its kind globally, by providing healthy food and a supportive social environment and motivation for players to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The company opened the first of its venues in May 2022, one of three planned venues that will open in the short-term, as it plans to expand regionally and globally. The company will also launch an academy and training programs specifically designed to guide and train young gamers who aspire to compete in the esports industry.

The group also includes the first global game studio to be launched in the Kingdom, which in turn will offer a range of valuable games to global audiences. Specialized teams will be formed focusing on mid and core games and will seek to take advantage of acquisition opportunities available in the Kingdom and international markets to attract games and studios under Savvy Group’s umbrella.

Savvy's strategy includes establishing Savvy Games Fund, dedicated to investing in leading global game publishers and developers and facilitating the establishment of their regional headquarters in the Kingdom.