Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Riyadh- and Tokyo-based gaming consultancy Hawk Gaming Group showcased Saudi and Middle Eastern game studios at EVO Japan 2026, highlighting the region’s growing ambitions in the global gaming and esports industry.

As an international solutions sponsor of the event, HawkGG organized a dedicated exhibition space at Tokyo Big Sight from May 1–3 featuring titles from regional developers, including “AMER Fighting” by Madhook Studios, “Box to the Beat VR” by Khosouf Studios and “Twisted Chance” by Fantasy World Studios.

Saudi investment firm Merak Capital also attended with a delegation of portfolio studios showcasing their games to Japanese players, publishers, esports organizations and media during one of the world’s largest fighting game tournaments.

The event also marked an expansion of HawkGG’s partnership with 4Gamer.net, one of Japan’s largest gaming media platforms. HawkGG said the partnership aims to support 4Gamer.net’s outreach into Middle Eastern markets while increasing exposure for regional studios and creators in Japan and Asia.

The company also hosted live interviews and streamed programming from the exhibition floor throughout the three-day event, featuring participating developers, creators, and industry partners.

HawkGG additionally announced a partnership with ePARA, a Japan-based esports organization focused on accessibility. The partnership aims to support ePARA’s expansion into Gulf markets and promote inclusive esports initiatives internationally.

“Japan is one of the most important gaming markets in the world, and EVO Japan is its most culturally significant competitive stage,” said Turki Faisal, founder and CEO of HawkGG. . “Our work is about more than exhibition space. It’s about creating durable pathways — so that Saudi and Middle Eastern studios are seen, played, and understood by global audiences, and so that Japan and the Gulf can build real commercial and cultural exchange together. Bringing Merak Capital and Saudi studios to Tokyo, serving as the global partner of 4Gamers.net, and taking ePARA global — these are not isolated moves. They are pieces of one strategy: building the infrastructure for a truly globalized gaming ecosystem.”

Saudi Arabia has increasingly invested in gaming and esports as part of its Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy, with companies and organizations seeking a larger role in international gaming markets and events.

HawkGG operates between Tokyo and Riyadh, focusing on partnerships between Japanese gaming companies and stakeholders in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East.