RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's The Ultimates secured regional bragging rights after coming out on top in Gamers Without Borders' latest MENA series — this time on multi-player favorite, Rainbow Six: Siege.
The five-player squad saw off Jordan's NASR Esports 2-1 in their first-round match (5-2, 1-5, 5-3) of last night's final four tournament, before triumphing over Saudi rivals Osh-Tekk Warriors 2-0 (5-3, 5-2) in the series decider, according to a press release.
Their win earned them$250,000, which they quickly handed over to the King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre (KSRelief) to help support their efforts on the frontline combating the spread of COVID-19.
"It's been absolutely incredible to take part in the Gamers Without Borders tournament and win over our Saudi opponents Osh-Tekk Warriors. We have decided to donate our fund to the KSRelief because they are our local charity which plays a huge role in supporting relief for many countries around the world," said The Ultimates on their victory.
And that donation was enough to see Gamers Without Borders — the seven-week long esports event uniting gamers in the battle against coronavirus — smash the $2.5million mark in the amount of money it has handed over to charity since getting underway only two weeks ago, with a further $7.5million still ready to be shared with international organizations at the heart of the fight.
Last night's tournament finale hosted the MENA-region's four best performing Rainbow Six: Siege teams from last week's qualifying rounds.
In its opening match, an all-Saudi affair saw Osh-Tekk Warriors dominate Yalla Esports 2-0 (5-0, 5-2) after some quick and aggressive play that saw star-man EagleX bag eight kills in only Round One of the best of three contest.
The Ultimates secured their place in the final with a commandeering performance against NASR, in which the play of the game actually came from a player on the losing side: NASR's Valantino surviving a 3v1 situation to secure what was then a pivotal win.
That play clearly inspired the tournament's eventual winners, as it would be they who pulled-off their own sensational three-on-one clutch in what was arguably the final's deciding point.
With a play-off looking a near-certainty, MSSS of The Ultimates executed a memorable triple-kill play to bag the concluding match's opening round 5-3 for his team — and there was no looking back from there.
As Gamers Without Borders is all about supporting the global fight against COVID-19, the final four teams all donated their winnings to non-profit organizations.
Yalla and NASR Esports both earned US$62,500, which they donated to Gavi and the International Medical Corps respectively. Osh-Tekk Warriors handed over their second place $125,000 winnings to the KSRelief, as did The Ultimates with their winning cheke.