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UAE-based esports company YaLLa Esports has announced a large-scale community-focused esports tournament series in Counter-Strike 2.

The tournament, called Compass, will have a prize pool of $450,000 (£369,000) and a large LAN final set to take place in the United Arab Emirates in June 2024. The first qualifier round is announced for December 2023.

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YaLLa Esports is most known for being a successful esports organisation in the Middle Eastern region. The organisation has competed in various games since its inception in 2016, notably in CS:GO, VALORANT and PUBG Mobile. The company’s agency arm works with clients on tournament organisation, events, social media and other esports and gaming-focused segments.

The new tournament will consist of two qualifying rounds, each with a $25,000 (£20,500) prize pool. The two rounds will seed teams to the LAN final in the United Arab Emirates in June 2024. The organisers did not share any information regarding whether some teams will be invited directly to the LAN stage, or whether all teams will need to secure a spot through the qualifiers.

YaLLa Esports noted that the tournament will focus on growing the United Arab Emirates’ esports industry. This includes helping create jobs and allowing local teams to play on the same stage as well-known global teams.

Klaus Kajetski, CEO and Founder of YaLLa Esports, commented: “I’m very grateful for the network I have built here in the past decade that is now rallying behind Compass and supporting this massive ambition of ours, as we could not have done it without our partners.”

YaLLa Esports made headlines last year by being accepted to the Saudi Esports Federation. Although the company is based in the United Arab Emirates, YaLLa Esports hinted at possible new operations in Saudi Arabia, but nothing has been confirmed on that front since.