Qabda, by FWZ, is the MENA region’s first gaming festival dedicated entirely to fighting games.
The MENA region’s first fighting games festival made its debut on May 8th, 2026. Fighters, fans, and first-time gamers experienced a day they will never forget; featuring six games, six champions, and a live leaderboard that kept everyone on edge until the last minute.
A full day of competition, community, and culture — here’s what went down.
Tekken 8 is home to the largest fighting games community, and Qabda was built to honor that. This tournament opened its doors to professional and casual players alike, creating a space where everyone from seasoned competitors to first-time tournament players could step up, test their skills, and be part of something bigger.
Brawlhalla Mobile may not get the tournament spotlight as often as it deserves — but at Qabda, that changed. This tournament was created specifically so that the mobile side of the Brawlhalla community wouldn't feel left out. Registration was open to all, and the tournament was played fully online, making it accessible to players from anywhere in the region.
One of the oldest and most iconic fighting franchises in the world, Mortal Kombat needs no introduction. At Qabda, we brought the fight to its newest edition — MK1 — giving players the chance to go head-to-head and prove who truly reigns supreme.
Street Fighter is one of the three pillars of fighting games worldwide — a title known by everyone, young and old, competitive or casual. The Qabda Street Fighter 6 tournament was built as an invitation to its community: a signal that there is a space for events and tournaaments, and a home for their game.
Built around a roster of iconic League of Legends champions, 2XKO brings a familiar universe into an entirely new genre. Qabda gave its community their first real tournament stage. Registration was held online, the tournament was played fully offline at the event, and the Grand Final was brought to the main stage.
Attendees signed up on the FWZ web-app to enter the leaderboard race and begin their gaming journey.
Players earned score points by completing challenges across multiple gaming stations spread throughout the venue.
Scores were reflected in real time on a live leaderboard displayed across the venue, allowing every participant to track their rank and see exactly where they stood against the competition at any moment.
Moreover, at any point during the festival, accumulated points could be used in one of two ways.
Points were exchanged for giveaway items that were available throughout the day, such as: gaming merchandise, vouchers, and branded prizes.
Those who kept competing accumulated more points, rising through the live rankings for a shot at the major prizes announced on stage.
Chef Executive Officer
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The MENA region is quickly becoming a hub for esports, with huge investments taking place in infrastructure, tournaments, and fan engagement. FWZ is proud to be part of this change; raising awareness about the market’s potential and empowering brands to infiltrate the market to reap all the benefits it presents.
We have the perfect mix that makes us stand out in the esports industry in MENA; our deep roots in the region and knowledge of its gaming and esports community, as well as our innovative and creative solutions developed by our team which is known for its technical expertise and out-of-the-box approaches. All of this and more enables us to understand the needs of this unique demographic and be able to always reach them, and we have the track record to prove it.
We provide multiple services that can bridge the gap between brands and the gaming and esports community. Using our knowledge of the sector, we work with you to create and execute strategies that enable you to connect with gamers on their own turf.
And with our broad range of services, we know how to target gamers and esports enthusiasts and when; thus, making sure that your brand is well-represented and that you’ve managed to create ties with your target audience in a way that is sure to make you stand out in the market.
The esports industry is big and wide, and its fans are known for their passion, loyalty, and varied interests. So, beyond marketing, esports is an amazing tool to create customer engagement, foster brand loyalty, and drive long-term partnerships.
Moreover, esports also opens the door to infinite possibilities of co-branded experiences; whether it be esports tournaments, product placement, influencer marketing, or gaming content creation, these will all lead to increased brand visibility and credibility in the constantly changing digital age.
We do it all, and we do it from start to finish!
At FWZ, we organize online and offline esports tournaments featuring some of the most popular games and spanning different platforms. We handle everything from event planning and marketing to live-streaming and post-event analysis.
As FWZ, we help brands level up with 360 solutions, including esports tournaments and broadcasts, influencers’ and talents’ management, content production, and events.
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