Istanbul 2022 Readies to Light Up a New World of Possibilities at the Crossroads of Asia and Europe

A global line up of world cities set their sights to join Singapore, as hosts of the GEF’s flagship event – the Global Esports Games

The Global Esports Federation celebrates the final months of 2021 with a host of activities, charting numerous firsts for the organization. Excitement among the world’s esports community for the inaugural Global Esports Games kicking off in Singapore on December 17 is at a fever pitch. The inaugural host city prepares to welcome athletes from over 40 countries and territories to compete in person at the historic event in the heart of vibrant Singapore.

Istanbul will host the second edition of the GEF’s flagship event in December 2022. Last week, Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF, led a delegation to Istanbul, Turkey to meet with the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoğlu, as well as leaders from Spor Istanbul, the Turkish Esports Federation, and members of the gaming, esports, education, business, and cultural community. The delegations discussed preparatory work, visited venue options, and explored the limitless opportunities for esports in the country.

The Global Esports Federation presenting a Certificate of Designation to the Mayor of Istanbul, naming Istanbul as the Host City for the Global Esports Games 2022. From L-R: Renay Onur, General Manager, Spor Istanbul; Alper Afsin Ozdemir, Founding President, Turkish Esports Federation (TESFED); Ekrem Imamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul; Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF; Ali Kiremitcioğlu, GEF Commission Member; Ramil Aliyev, GEF Board Member; and Rustam Aghasiyev, GEF Director of Global Events.

“For years it has been said that Istanbul stands at the crossroads between Asia and Europe, but it also stands at the very heart of a thriving inclusive youth culture. You literally feel the energy vibrate from within this breathtaking city presenting great opportunities to showcase the future of esports, as we continue to expand our #worldconnected community, said Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF. “With a month until the inaugural Singapore 2021 Global Esports Games, we have already started our detailed work with our partners in Turkey. We are proud to welcome Istanbul as host city for the Global Esports Games 2022 as we convene the world’s athletes and players here in a little over a year.”

Interest from the world’s leading cities to host the GEF’s robust event portfolio continues to expand. The GEF Board’s recent decision to call for expressions of interest to host future editions of the Global Esports Games, from 2024 through 2027, has seen unprecedented interest, with nine global cities indicating interest. The GEF’s technical teams are currently assessing the applications, candidacy files, and the GEF Board will select the host cities at the upcoming Board Meeting in Singapore on December 17, 2021.

A delegation from the GEF recently jetted from Los Angeles in September for the first ever Global Esports Tour, to its first live-audience esports tournament in Riyadh in October. The team will continue their journey to Dubai next week for the last stop of the GET this year. Then, the team will lock-focus on the final phase of preparations for the Singapore 2021 Global Esports Games.