Professional gamers gathered at the Ramee Grand Hotel on December 23 rd for a two-day live stream fighting tournament, organized by GCC Majors. Gamers faced off head-to-head in disciplines such as King of Fighters, Super Smash Bros 4, Street Fighter and Guilty Gear.
Abdulla Abdulaziz, one of the organiers and a member of GCC majors, said that the tournament attracted only serious gamers, from the ages of 25-45.The tournament had twelve stations and the organizers included two games per day. “We offer international standards for the fighting games,” he said.Abdulaziz added that the response time for the monitor and the screen needed to be within a millisecond. This is why they make sure to use updated screens and to set up using international rules and standards.
His love of gaming started with an Atari, in 1989 that was a gift from his uncle, intended for his sister.He kept playing, moving on to the neighborhood arcade in Muharraq, in 1994 and interacting with other gamers, playing Mortal Combat, Street Fighting and other popular games. The enthusiasm around him was catching.Abdulaziz then went on to organise events in 2012, starting small with friends at home and inviting others to join.“The numbers were small and we used to send invites to people from Qatar and Oman and they were interested,” said Abdulaziz.Then they moved onto to organising events at Ozone Sitra Mall and their guest lists started to grow. Their group was called King of Fighters (KOF) Bahrain, then KOF GCC.In 2015, they participated in Qatar and in Dubai and are now titled GCC Majors, with representatives in different GCC countries and an international following. Abdul Aziz is the Bahraini representative and he has a team working with him.Others are based in Qatar, Oman, KSA and Dubai.
Commenting on the work they do, Abdulaziz said that the local fighting community and Those who are interested in participating gain a lot from the events they plan.
“It’s like giving them a good opportunity, a good exposure to many things,” he said. The gaming tournaments they hold are popular worldwide and competitors have a chance to build a career and get offers and sponsorships.“You will have your own reputation from the GCC,” said Abdulaziz,“You will be called to play in competitions, to participate.”
Plans are underway for a tournament in Bahrain next year.
On their official website they state that: “The GCC holds immense fighting game talent and potential, and the region deserves world-class e-Sports events to support and cultivate this.”