In 2024, the eSports World Cup was held in Riyadh, and it proved to be the largest edition to date. 23 events took place across 22 disciplines, and the enthusiastic participation was matched by exceptional viewing figures across the world.
The next challenge is for Arabian competitors to make their individual mark in the various games currently on the schedule. That challenge is for all competitors to address, but it’s notable that a significant number of women are getting involved across the region.
Spotlight on Arabian Women in eSports
The most active unit within female Arabian eSports sits within Team Falcons. Founded in 2017, the team covers many different titles within the pro video gaming category and has enjoyed success in several of those disciplines.
As part of the overall Team Falcons organization, the unit has a separate women’s section known as Falcons Vega MENA. It’s an important part of the overall setup, and the women have proved to be groundbreakers for females in eSports. Their achievements have started to spread worldwide, but they have secured a number of ‘firsts’ in Arabian competition.
Falcons Vega MENA came to global attention in 2024 when they became the first Arab women’s team to compete in the eSports World Cup. Falcons entered a unit in the Mobile Legends Bang Bang tournament, which featured a prize pool of $500,000. This was an exclusive competition, with just 66 players taking part from 14 nations worldwide.
It’s been a tough introduction to global eSports, and the team is still making its way against far more experienced opponents. Development can only come from participation, however, and these early inroads can help lay a platform for future success.
Moving forward, Team Falcons will look to build on that early progress and, as part of the bigger picture, they will be aware that part of their role is to inspire more women and young girls to get involved in eSports.
Challenges to Overcome in a Male-dominated Industry
Like many traditional sports, the world of professional video gaming tends to be dominated by men. It’s a situation that provides one more obstacle for women to overcome, but it may be even tougher within Arab countries.
It’s a sad fact that the barriers for women may start early. Potential issues with online harassment may prevent many from taking up eSports. Across the world, some competitors may feel compelled to hide the fact that they are a woman. They are concerned that if their cover is revealed, they will be abused and made to feel inferior in a male-dominated sport.
It’s a global concern, and one that online platforms need to address, but it’s not a simple issue to resolve. Arab online platforms could potentially work harder to ban individuals who transgress the rules, while there could also be better education among young males involved in professional video gaming.
The problems could be alleviated when, and if, there is greater acceptance of female athletes and women’s teams in eSports. There is work to be done here on a global scale, and not just in Arabia. Across the professional video gaming sphere, there is a relative lack of women competing in the top leagues. Teams are also male dominated, with few having a women’s section as part of their setup.
There is no discernible reason why this should be the case. eSports are games of skill, and therefore, women should be able to compete on a level playing field with men.
This factor also suggests there is scope for mixed teams in eSports moving forward. It’s a phenomenon that’s been trialed in certain traditional sports, and there is an audience for this approach. We may be some way away from reaching those levels, but units such as Team Falcons can help promote female gamers in what has traditionally been a male-dominated environment.
Team Falcons as a Catalyst in MENA’s eSports Evolution
Team Falcons has proved to be a groundbreaker across Arabian eSports, and it has secured some significant milestones in both men’s and women’s disciplines. While there is discussion around the women, success for the men’s section will help raise the profile of Falcons Vega MENA.
In 2025, Falcons won their first-ever trophy in the Counter Strike 2 section when they defeated G2 eSports in the final at PGL Bucharest 2025. There were personal milestones too, as team member degster was named as the MVP in this tournament.
Shortly after this breakthrough in Romania, degster left the team and was replaced by Ilya mONESEY Osipov. The departure of a key player could have weakened the unit, but Team Falcons proved their triumph in Bucharest was no fluke as they reached the final of the Melbourne event.
The male section of Team Falcons is clearly improving, and 2026 is likely to bring more success to the unit. Winning tournaments will continue to raise the profile of Falcons, and of eSports in Saudi Arabia, but the women’s side needs to be a part of the conversation.
So, who are the women behind the Falcons Vega MENA team?
Like the majority of competitors in the eSports environment, most are known simply by their handles. The roster includes the likes of Prime Jyy, Names, Fvvn, Yui, Sunlight, and Velvet.
Velvet’s enthusiasm for the game shone through in an interview with Vogue Arabia. She explained how she fell in love with the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang game due to its blend of “teamwork, strategy, and dynamic gameplay.”
Velvet then had a trial with a local team before getting involved in online tournaments. After making an impression in those events, she was accepted onto the Falcons’ roster and has been an essential part of the setup ever since.
Sadly, Velvet also revealed some of the prejudice she encountered as a female player. Whenever she performed well, certain male opponents would imply she had a man helping her.
“Whenever I performed well in a game, some men questioned my abilities, implying that I had someone else, usually a man, play on my behalf rather than acknowledging my own skills and accomplishments”, Velvet says.
The barriers are there, but the feature in Vogue also outlined an established path into professional eSports. With easy access to online tournaments, there is the potential for young players to follow Velvet. Strong performances in these events will be noticed, and scouts are always looking for new talent.
Velvet also believes the obstacles can be overcome. She speaks of a future where more Arab women will compete professionally, while rising to become leaders. Opportunities for ancillary roles in coaching and analysis should also open up, according to this Team Falcons star.
As long as Team Falcons keep enjoying success, they will stay in the public consciousness. In that respect, they are hitting their targets, with victory in Bucharest, followed by that appearance in the final in Melbourne. Moving forward, it needs to keep evolving and be the benchmark for eSports in Arab nations.
There are, therefore, two clearly defined targets for Team Falcons over the next few years. They may be enjoying some success, but Arabian eSports remains underrepresented on the global stage. Many of the Falcons Vega MENA players, both past and present, originate from Egypt, where professional video gaming has a far greater following. One of the first challenges, therefore, will be to include homegrown players on the roster.
It’s a similar situation for the men’s section of the team. Founder and current CEO, Mossad ‘Msdossary’ Al Dossary, is Saudi, but the current playing roster features few homegrown members. Of course, this is a global sport with no tolerance for discrimination, and everyone is welcome, but in order to inspire more players from its home country and from the Middle East in general, Team Falcons could be looking to elevate more Saudi competitors.
The second challenge for Falcons to meet is to promote the interests of their women’s section. They already have an excellent platform in place with the Falcons Vega MENA unit, and it’s time to develop and hopefully gain some wins on the world stage.
It’s all about providing inspiration for the next generations. Children will naturally be drawn to play, and video games will form a part of their youth. If they see people who are not much older than they are competing for serious prize money in a professional arena, they will realize that a career in gaming is possible.
Thanks to Falcons Vega MENA, those children will also begin to see there is a place in eSports for female competitors. It’s a big responsibility for Team Falcons as an overall organization, but they’ve already made important early inroads, and they can now look to evolve and attract both men and women into this growing sport.
