Thanks for joining me on last week’s episode of THE rAVe Esports Show. I took you inside Riyadh Boulevard City for the Esports World Cup and showed what it takes to power one of the most ambitious tournaments on the planet.

What stood out

• Production on a different level: Massive LED canvases, synchronized light sticks, pyro cues, drone shots, and camera rigs everywhere. I even spotted a tracked “robot” camera weaving through the stage.

• Three signature stages:

  1. A 1v1 fighting-game arena where I walked the stage and nerded out over cameras and cabling

  2. The team arena that hosted Rocket League with full rehearsal sequences and pyrotechnics

  3. The battle-royale stage for PUBG with a dynamic floor that rose in meter-square tiles

• Opening and ceremonies: Stadium-scale show control, live music, and a key-and-trophy system that tells a story. Winners place a “champion’s key” while the rest get crushed and sealed in a resin “graveyard” under glass. Wild to see in person.

• Back-of-house access: Press rooms, interview zones, and multiple control rooms for parallel streams. So many signals and miles of cable. AV teams working like clockwork.

• Fan energy: Full houses for finals, synchronized lighting with the show, and that roar when the confetti hits. I was seated near Falcons supporters during PUBG and the place shook.

Tournament moments

• Street Fighter: A back-to-back champion lifted the trophy as confetti rained and the key ceremony triggered

• Rocket League: Carmine Corp claimed the title in front of a packed house

• PUBG Grand Final: Twisted Minds protected a points lead while Falcons fought for late kills. Multi-view showed 16 squads, 4 inputs per team, live map, and “zone shrinking” graphics that also queued lighting on the set. The integration between game data and show control was top tier.

Why this matters for AV pros

• This event is a blueprint for large-scale esports: redundant power, show automation, fast patching between titles, camera choreography, and real-time data driving lights and screens. If you design, integrate, or operate live environments, esports is where every discipline meets.

Next episode, I sit down with Extron’s Luca Hayworth to talk about building esports spaces from the ground up. Bring your questions. Do you want to be notified before every broadcast? Sign up here to be on the list.

Big thanks to Extron for sponsoring our show!