• Team Falcons Vega began their quest for success by topping Group A on Wednesday thanks to wins over CFU Serendipity and Cloud9
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women's Invitational, which runs until Saturday at Boulevard Riyadh City, has the largest women's esports prize pool ever – $500,000
• 'In Riyadh, I feel everyone loves Falcons... everyone is going 'Go, Team Falcons!'. I think the supporters boost our performance' – Agatha, Team Falcons Vega player​

Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 24 July 2024: Team Falcons Vega women stars hope the passionate support they receive from home fans can help propel them to Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women's Invitational (MWI) glory at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh.

Team Falcons Vega are one of 12 teams battling it out at MWI for the largest prize pool ever in the history of women's esports – with the winners claiming $180,000 of the incredible $500,000 total.

It was an excellent start for Team Falcons Vega in the group stages of the competition on Wednesday at Boulevard Riyadh City. They topped Group A – dubbed 'the Group of Death' thanks to the quality of the teams drawn together – after victories over both CFU Serendipity and Cloud9.

Team Falcons Vega player Agatha, from Jakarta, Indonesia, said: 'I'm very happy because we're so excited to be a part of this tournament, the MWI. Being number one and winning is a big goal for me – if we can achieve number one, it would be great.

'To represent Team Falcons is a really good opportunity for us. In Riyadh, I feel everyone loves Falcons. This is the Falcons homebase and this is the first experience for me of going out and everyone going 'Go, Team Falcons!'. I think the supporters really help us mentally and boost our performance on stage.'

Team-mate Thall, also from the Indonesian capital, agrees and believes the support from home fans at Boulevard Riyadh City is a huge plus. Organized by Montoon and the Esports World Cup Foundation, the MWI group stages continue on Thursday, with the top two sides from each of the four groups advancing to the play-offs. The quarter-finals take place on Friday, with the semi-finals and grand final on Saturday.

Thall said: ''I'm so excited because the people here are so nice. They all say, 'Go Falcons, Go Falcons!' It's great to have that welcome and that support. The arena is very good. This is the best arena I have played at. It's my first experience of a facility here (in Saudi Arabia) and it's so good.'

Agatha – real name Angelia Agatha – admitted that the prize pool on offer for the MWI at the Esports World Cup is 'life-changing'.

Agatha, 22, said: 'I think this prize pool would change my life, especially for my family. I would love to give it to my mum and dad. Family comes first, right? I've been in esports since I was 19 so this tournament really matters to me.'

Thall, 20, real name Talitha Ambar Maheswari, added: 'I'm so happy because I've played in Mobile Legends for three years and this is my first international tournament in Riyadh. I'm so excited.'

Asked if she had a message for young Saudi Arabian female gamers, Agatha said: 'I think everyone must try and achieve their dreams – you must try. When you dream and you try, and when you train hard, you can achieve it.'

Group B of the MWI features DreamMax Girls, Net Angels and Omega Express. Group C consists of Falcon Vega MENA – with players from Egypt participating for the side – VSG (Victory Song Gamers) and Zino Lillies. Group D has Team Vitality, Gaimin Gladiators and Tidal Legends Gaming in action. 

Containing 66 of the best ML:BB women players in the world, some 14 nationalities are represented in the tournament. These are: Philippines, Indonesia, China, Egypt, Malaysia, Brazil, Cambodia, Myanmar, Russia, USA, Vietnam, Paraguay, South Korea, and Thailand.

The MWI is a significant addition to the Esports World Cup, which kicked off at Boulevard Riyadh City on July 3 and runs until August 25. The tournament reflects the growing presence of female gamers, who make up 48% of the gaming community in Saudi Arabia.

The Esports World Cup, which has a $60 million prize pool, the largest in esports history, features a unique cross-game structure pitting the world's top clubs and players against one another across 22 global competitions in 21 leading games.

More than 1,500 players, representing over 60 nationalities, are battling it out at the Esports World Cup this summer. Week four competitions are also taking place this week in PUBG Mobile and Overwatch 2.