Students at four Saudi universities in Riyadh and Jeddah designed interactive in-game maps for PUBG MOBILE, drawing on the Kingdom’s heritage.
PUBG MOBILE says Map the Kingdom, now run under the WOW Campus name, challenged students to move beyond traditional gameplay and become creators. They drew on Saudi heritage, cultural identity, and future aspirations.
The programme is backed by the Saudi Esports Federation and the Saudi University Sports Federation. Savvy Games Group, a company owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, also backs it, and HONOR is a sponsor. PUBG MOBILE says the aim is to connect students with the Kingdom’s gaming and esports scene while building game-design skills, digital creativity, and innovation.
It also ties the effort to Vision 2030 and the National Gaming and Esports Strategy, which emphasises developing local talent and creating careers in the industry. In PUBG MOBILE’s view, Saudi gaming is widening beyond competitive esports to include education, cultural storytelling, and youth empowerment.
The details are thin. PUBG MOBILE hasn’t given any dates, prizes, winners, or university names, and it’s unclear whether this round has finished.
In 2025, the first round ran across eight universities in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Khobar. Students built maps in WOW mode (PUBG MOBILE’s sandbox with a built-in editor), and the best finished at a grand finale in Riyadh.
PUBG MOBILE will showcase Saudi students’ work on the show floor at Kingdom of Gaming. The event runs from 1 to 3 December 2026 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Centre.
