Our GAM3 Awards, a prominent fixture in the realm of web3 gaming, are making a triumphant return this December 2023. The event's distinguished panel of judges has been unveiled, featuring a mix of familiar figures from 2022 and new representatives spanning various aspects of web3 gaming. Notable newcomers to the panel include experts from web3 gaming venture capital firms, blockchain and ecosystem specialists, infrastructure partners, and content creators, in addition to renowned gaming leaders and tech giants such as Amazon and Google.

We are proud to introduce one of our jury members Sultan Al Riyami, Section Head of AD Gaming. Sultan is transforming Abu Dhabi into a global powerhouse in the gaming and esports sector. His areas of focus so far include the launch and management of the AD Gaming initiative, as well as the onboarding of over 60 leading gaming and esports companies to base themselves in Abu Dhabi – including Unity Technologies, Ubisoft, MY.GAMES, ROBOCOMVR, and division 1 eSports teams such as NIGMA Galaxy, and NASR eSports to name a few.

Sultan drives growth in Abu Dhabi’s creative industries and plays a key role in maximizing the Emirate’s AED 30+ billion investment into the CCI industries. Sultan has led initiatives such as bringing key eSports tournaments for the first time to Abu Dhabi, in an effort to diversify opportunities within the gaming community and drive the growth of eSports regionally. This includes the BLAST Premier World Final, which saw the world’s top CS:GO teams descend on Abu Dhabi to compete for over $1 million prize pool.

1. What is the most enjoyable part of your role?  

"I get to learn about the latest trends and projects directly from industry leaders while helping build a sustainable ecosystem of development talent and business."  

2. How do you see the progress made in web3 gaming since last year? 

"There is tremendous growth, but what really stands out is the quality of the content coming out of the scene, I can see a blockbuster game spawning out of web3 development studios in the very near future."

3. What is the most valuable addition web3 brings into gaming, from your perspective, if any?

"The value to the end user will come from developers creating longlasting IP. You can't expect game assets to hold value without a player base."

4. What is your outlook on 2024 and beyond for web3 gaming?

"I'm excited to see more publishers and developers create web3 projects that actually make sense - properly utilizing the value from web3 technology to a point where the end user doesn't even know the game their playing is web3. That's when we can start to properly measure the success of web3 games!"

The return of our GAM3 Awards in 2023 promises to be a celebration of the web3 gaming industry's growth and innovation. With industry figures like Sultan Al Riyami on the jury, the event is set to recognize excellence in the ever-evolving world of web3 gaming.