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Savvy Games Group CEO Brian Ward argues that fast dealmaking can help Saudi Arabia build a games and esports industry, but he says the longer-term test is whether the country can develop enough local talent to fill its jobs. The distinction matters: major events and partnerships can quickly increase visibility and bring expertise into the market, but they do not by themselves establish lasting local capacity.
Why Ward says speed matters
In a 2024 interview with GamesBeat, Ward framed speed as an advantage in a rapidly changing games business, particularly when companies are pursuing deals and acquisitions. Drawing on his experience at Electronic Arts, he said: “In doing deals and transactions and so forth, time is not your friend. You’d better move fast, or the next guy will be right behind you.”
For Savvy, the argument was not simply to move quickly for its own sake. Ward described acquisitions and long-term investment as ways to assemble businesses and expertise in a fragmented esports sector with difficult economics. He said combining companies could strengthen the sector, and assessed that publisher, sponsorship, and advertising agreements had become longer and more effectively monetized. Those are Ward’s views on the effect of consolidation; the interview does not independently establish that consolidation caused the changes.
What partnerships can—and cannot—show
GamesBeat reported that Savvy had signed memoranda of understanding with Niantic to support its expansion into Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt, and with Xsolla to create more economic opportunities in the Middle East and elsewhere. The interview does not disclose the agreements’ commercial terms or measure their results, so they indicate areas of cooperation rather than completed business outcomes.
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Ward also pointed to Kwalee’s relationship with a Saudi startup as an example of how an international partner could contribute know-how while helping develop local game-making capability. That model can connect local developers with external experience, but the account does not quantify the startup’s progress or the partnership’s impact.
In a March 2026 GamesBeat interview, Ward said Savvy had revised its brand-partnership sales pipeline and clarified ownership and accountability across esports product lines. He forecast EBITDA positivity in 2026 and cash-flow positivity the following year; these were expectations, not reported financial results. The interview describes process changes, not independently measured effects on the business.
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Events bring reach, but reach is not local capacity
GamesBeat reported that the 2024 Esports World Cup in Riyadh ran for eight weeks. It said Savvy announced more than 500 million viewers and over 250 million hours of content, and reported a peak audience of 3.5 million for the League of Legends Grand Final. These are reported event figures attributed to Savvy, not independently audited audience measurements.
Those numbers indicate the scale of attention around the event. They do not, on their own, show how many local jobs were created, how many Saudi studios became sustainable, or whether the sector’s economics improved over time. The same distinction applies to Ward’s broader claims about esports growth: visibility is one measure, while local employment and durable businesses require separate evidence.
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In the 2026 interview, Ward cited year-over-year increases of 30–50% in key Esports World Cup metrics, including hours viewed. The interview does not enumerate every metric or provide an underlying dataset, so the range should be understood as Ward’s characterization rather than a fully specified performance comparison.
Why local skills are the slower part of the plan
Ward has emphasized that investment and events cannot instantly supply the people needed to build a lasting hub. “Talent development and skill development for building a games and esports hub is not something that will be achieved overnight, but the faster we can move on that front, the better off we’ll be,” he told GamesBeat in 2024. He also said, “We need to develop the skills and talent of the people who are there in order to fill those jobs.”
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Ward referenced a Saudi objective of 39,000 jobs in the games sector, saying the goal was possible but would not be reached in four years. It is an objective, not a count of jobs already created. He also said 67% of Saudi Arabia’s population considered themselves gamers; the interview does not identify the statistic’s underlying survey or year, so it should be treated as his stated figure rather than independently validated evidence.
In March 2026, Ward described education efforts that included Savvy Academy curriculum partnerships with five Saudi universities. He also gave figures for a Play to Learn pilot: 700,000 children signed up, 30,000 teachers, and 150,514 game concepts submitted. He said the Ministry of Education wanted to expand the initiative to six million children; that was a stated plan, not evidence that six million had taken part. Ward’s description of these programs shows the kind of longer-term capacity building he considers necessary, but does not establish that the 39,000-job objective has been achieved.
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What Ward’s Riyadh hub ambition amounts to
Ward said, “I don’t have any doubt that Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, will become a global games and esports hub.” The interview presents that as his confidence in the direction of travel, not an independently verified outcome. Its account points to three different measures of progress: capital and acquisitions that can bring businesses together quickly; partnerships and events that can attract companies, audiences, and expertise; and education and workforce development that take longer to translate into local skills and jobs.
GamesBeat disclosed that it was a media partner for the New Global Sport Conference and that the reporter’s trip to Riyadh was paid for by the conference. That context is relevant when weighing the interview’s event and industry-growth claims.
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