The inaugural Pokémon GO Tour: Live Event is coming to Yas Island, Abu Dhabi as a real-world extension of a global, with a live event on Saturday, February 26, 2022, local reports have said.
The event will be hosted by Niantic, the AR company behind Pokémon GO, in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), Miral, and AD Gaming, said the reports.
The event is the first to be featured in the UAE and region and will be held at the newly opened Yas Bay Waterfront on the southern end of Yas Island, said sources.
Gamers on Yas Bay will be joined by those taking part in Monterrey, Mexico at Parque Fundidora and Kaohsiung, Taiwan at the Taiwan Lantern Festival, reported local media.
The ticketed event will include real-world habitats, special in-game features, photo ops, a special game plan, exclusive merchandise and targets existing gamers and new fans, said official sources.
The reports said that the gaming industry in Abu Dhabi has been recognized as a priority sector for growth.
Earlier this year, DCT Abu Dhabi announced and investment strategy of more than an AED30 billion ($8.17 billion) to accelerate Culture and Creative Industries (CCI) in the emirate, while TwoFour54 launched AD Gaming, a new initiative to aggregate the emirate’s efforts to build a gaming and esports gaming community.
As part of the event, gamers will be able to explore at close quarters various landmarks along the Yas Bay Waterfront area, including the five-star Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island Hotel, and Etihad Arena; Abu Dhabi’s iconic and first multi-purpose indoor entertainment venue, said sources.