The Nexus is Riot's first official tournament in the MENA region
Riot Games is hosting the first official League of Legends event in the Middle East and North Africa. The Nexus is a three-day festival that includes League tournament, a Teamfight Tactics competition, 1v1 fights, concerts, and more.
The event is happening in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, starting on December 5. For the first time in the ten-year history of League of Legends, the MENA region is finally getting an official tournament. Even though it’s not a big one, it’s just the beginning of Riot’s development of the MENA scene.
Riot prepares $850,000 for The Nexus League event
The Nexus’ main event will see eight teams that qualified through different regional tournaments participate. Each qualifier tournament had two Nexus spots to share, including the Gulf Cooperation Council Qualifier, Levant Qualifier, North African Qualifier, and the Saudi Arabian Qualifier.
Participating teams are amateur teams from MENA that are now getting the chance to prove they are competent to fight with teams from other big regions on an international stage. Teams will be competing for a share of $850,000 prize pool Riot has set in place.
The tournament will be streamed on Riot’s official
Arabia Twitch channel, and it doesn’t seem like there will be an English translation at first.
League of Legends continues to expand internationally
Riot has its official leagues set all over the place, in North America, Europe, Brazil, China, Korea, Turkey, and more. Most of the regions have seasonal leagues set in place that determine participants in the Worlds Championships, as well as amateur tournaments that nourish new talent.
The MENA region hasn’t been included in Riot’s esports dominance across the world. But with The Nexus tournament being set in place, the organization has taken the first necessary step towards building yet another potentially strong scene. Not only will The Nexus show if MENA teams are at a satisfying level of competitive play, it will also bring new fans to League of Legends esports that make up another important community.
With Riot also preparing to open a dedicated server and localised game for the region, it’s in the organization’s interest to solidify their presence in the market which will likely lead to another seasonal championship. More information about The Nexus is available
here.
Read Also
Esports Betting
These Are Our Betting Tips for the League Championship Series Week 4
Ben Boland
The 2026 LCS Summer Split is in full swing, with the eight North American squads all vying for a chance to represent the region at this year's World Championship. With Worlds being on home soil, there is more than just a ticket to Worlds at stake. Each series in the regular season carries weight, as the standings will determine their seeding and potentially their fate in the playoffs. Week four ...
League of Legends
Caps To Be Announced As Third Inductee in the LoL Hall of Legends
Hannan Mundia
After Faker and Uzi were inducted into the Hall of Legends in 2024 and 2025 respectively, the European League of Legends player Caps will be the next to get the same treatment. League of Legends has been a cornerstone in the professional gaming scene for over a decade. In that time, a handful of players have managed to leave their mark for all future fans and fellow players to learn ...
Esports Betting
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it
Michael Hassall
The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...
League of Legends
LCK 2026 Rounds 3–4 Preview, Schedule, Predictions, and More
Hannan Mundia
2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are slated to start soon, and this preview highlights the schedule, our expert predictions, and everything else you need to know before watching. The LCK has been upside down recently. Teams that were considered absolute powerhouses are seemingly falling off, while previous underdogs have been causing upset after upset. 2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are starting soon, and the big question here is which team will reign ...
League of Legends
LEC 2026 Summer split preview, schedule, predictions, and more
Hannan Mundia
The 2026 LEC Summer split will be the deciding split to determine which teams can make it to the World Championship, and this preview aims to highlight everything you need to know about it. It isn’t a stretch to say that the LCK and LCP are the only two competitive League of Legends regions actually pulling their weight currently. The LEC did show potential at the start of the year, ...
League of Legends
How is League of Legends Classic different from the modern version?
Hannan Mundia
League Classic brings the classic League of Legends gameplay and design from when the game first came out, but how is it different from the modern version? The modern League of Legends mode is arguably in its best state in terms of popularity, with a study even reporting that playing LoL can improve brain function. Over a decade of gameplay and multiple marketing tactics by Riot Games have bumped up ...
League of Legends
Best Champions for every role in League of Legends Classic mode
Hannan Mundia
League Classic sees the return of League of Legends Season 3, but which champions were deemed the best during that time? League of Legends has gone through a lot of changes since it first came out. While the map and item-related changes naturally impacted the game's state, so did the many champion nerfs, buffs, and reworks. Multiple champions played completely differently in Season 3 than they do now. Since League ...
