Savvy Games Group announced Tuesday that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Stockholm-based visual effects and cinematic production company NMBRS related to both esports and game development.
Savvy said in its announcement that this new MoU lays the groundwork for advancing the technical and creative capabilities of gaming and esports within the Saudi Arabian ecosystem. The new agreement was signed during the D.I.C.E. video game industry conference, taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada, this week. The first step in this deal is for Savvy to help NMBRS establish a significant presence in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.
NMBRS is best known for its production work on game trailers, cinematics, visual narratives, and real-time 3D content for major gaming and esports companies. The company has worked on a number of high-profile properties in the past including Battlefield, Valorant, Dune, and Call of Duty. NMBRS has also worked on global esports events such as the Esports World Cup and League of Legends Worlds.
“NMBRS brings a high level of creative capability, and their expansion into Saudi Arabia reflects the continued momentum of the market,” said Dr. Nika Nour, SVP and head of international business development at Savvy Games Group. “As we establish operations together in the Kingdom, we are strengthening the ecosystem and opening new opportunities for emerging talent.”
Looking ahead, Savvy and NMBRS will explore working on original IPs aimed at consumers in Saudi Arabia, and fostering local talent with training and collaboration on projects.This MoU, like others Savvy has signed over the last several years, is part of its continued effort to promote and realize Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives and the National Gaming and Esports Strategy, which aims to grow these industries in Saudi Arabia and move the country away from its reliance on revenue from traditional sources such as oil and gas.
Savvy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian government’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Savvy is the parent company of SNK Corporation, ESL FACEIT Group (which is home to ESL, FACEIT, DreamHack, and what remains of Esports Engine), Monopoly Go developer Scopely, and soon Electronic Arts. The company also controls the PIF’s portfolio of investments in the gaming sector which includes minor investments in Ubisoft, Nintendo, Activision Blizzard, and more.
Projects backed by the Saudi government are often accused of being used for “sports washing,” or as a cover for the government to gloss over its record on human rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, its mistreatment (and executions of) journalists, military actions in Yemen, and more. These and other criticisms have been highlighted by international watchdog groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.