Israel is set to send an official national Esports team to compete in an international tournament in Riyadh in November, marking the first time a formal Israel delegation will take part in such an event in Saudi Arabia.
The competition is expected to include teams from more than 100 countries and offer tens of millions of dollars in prize money, organizers said.
The initiative is not backed by the government but by a small group of organizers from the Israel Esports Association, who have spent years building a national team without state funding.
“We insisted on one thing,” said association chairman Ido Brosh. “If Israel comes, it comes officially — with the flag and the uniform, without apologizing or hiding.”
In previous cases, the group declined invitations to compete. Brosh said the team refused to participate in a tournament in Indonesia after being asked to compete without national symbols.
“In Saudi Arabia, there was full cooperation,” he said. “We are participating under the same conditions as all other countries.”
The tournament in Riyadh reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing investment in gaming and esports, including the acquisition of major companies and hosting large-scale competitions in recent years.
Despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, organizers said they see gaming as a bridge between countries.
“We believe gaming can connect between nations, between different types of people and cultures,” said Yoav Sochen, a member of the association’s board.
Officials involved in the team’s formation said Israel players are already competing at the highest international levels in several games.
“In Counter-Strike, Israel is considered very strong,” Sochen said. “There are at least 15 Israel players at the top level, in the biggest teams.”
He added that Israel players have also achieved top rankings in games such as Dota and Rocket League, including world champions in international competitions.
Gili Ronen, the association’s vice chairman, said Israel players have long faced technical disadvantages due to higher latency, or “ping,” when competing on overseas servers.
“That created a situation where Israel players got used to reacting more slowly,” he said. “But when conditions are equal, our team definitely has an advantage.”
He said the team could realistically finish among the top 10 to 20 countries overall.
The team is selected based on global rankings, tournament participation and recommendations from game developers, according to organizers. Israel’s relatively small size makes it easier to identify top players, they said.
The association estimates there are more than 3,000 registered competitive gamers in Israel and about 130 tournaments held annually.
Despite that, esports is not officially recognized as a sport in Israel, and the team receives no government funding.
“We produce international talent with zero budget from the state,” Brosh said. “More than 80 countries already recognize esports as a sport. We meet almost all the criteria — except one.”
That remaining requirement involves mandatory medical testing under Israel sports law, which organizers say has proven difficult to implement among gamers.
Organizers say they hope official recognition will come soon, which they believe would make competitive gaming one of the largest sports sectors in Israel.