Middle Eastern esports company YaLLa Esports has announced a significant expansion of its YaLLa Compass Counter-Strike 2 circuit for 2025.
YaLLa Compass 2025 will feature two LAN events in the Middle East with a total prize pool of $1.5m (~£1.16m). This is a significant increase from its 2024 edition, which featured a $450,000 (~£349,100) event in Abu Dhabi.
Open qualification for the first YaLLa Compass 2025 event will begin on July 29th. According to a release, two more qualifiers for the event will take place in ‘Q4 2024 and Q1 2025.’ Teams that successfully qualify will compete in closed qualifiers ahead of the first LAN event, scheduled for Q2 2025.
YaLLa Esports also revealed that Compass will take place across two cities in the Middle East. Details on the exact location were not disclosed.
The first edition of YaLLa Compass attracted solid viewing figures for its debut. According to Esports Charts, the tournament recorded peak viewing figures of 163,139 and nearly 3m hours watched across its 42-hour airtime.
Since launching in 2016, YaLLa Esports has become one of the largest esports companies and tournament organisers in the Middle East. For its 2024 event, it attracted notable partners including the likes of skin trading marketplace BitSkins and sports, events and talent management company IMG.
Klaus Kajetski, Founder and CEO of YaLLa Esports, spoke on the news: “Building on the incredible growth of esports in MENA in 2024 and the success of the first Compass season, YaLLa Compass promises an even bigger and better experience.
“With a larger prize pool, two LAN events, and a continued focus on creating a truly global esports experience, YaLLa Compass is solidifying its position as an S-tier tournament not only in the MENA region but on the international stage.”
