aming club chain True Gamers has successfully closed a $5 million seed funding round. Backed by fresh capital, True Gamers is scaling its presence across MENA and Europe — expanding its franchise network, growing its brand, and developing its tech stack.
It brings up the company’s total funding in the UAE to $15.5 million, including a pre-seed round raised in 2023 and investments made into local branches over the past two years. The company is scaling through a hybrid model of franchising and venture capital, aiming to capture 10% of the US, European, and MENA gaming cafe markets by 2030.
Statista projects the global gaming market to reach $522.46 billion by 2029. Venture investment in gaming has already risen by 35% this year compared to the previous quarter, hitting $373 million — a strong sign of increasing investor confidence in the sector.
“According to ESA, the average gamer today is 36 years old. By 2025, the number of active gamers is expected to hit 3.51 billion — nearly half the world’s population — with around 45% of them being women,” says Anton Vasilenko, founder and CEO of True Gamers.
Headquartered in ADGM, True Gamers was founded in 2022 by Anton Vasilenko and Vladislav Belyanin, who previously built the second-largest gaming café network in the CIS region, expanding it to 130+ locations since 2019.
Today, the company operates 14 gaming cafes and clubs in the UAE, with 10 more under development across the UAE, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Germany, and France.
Beyond gaming cafes, True Gamers is building a full-scale esports ecosystem, hosting up to seven weekly tournaments for casual players, supported by brands like Sony, Du, and LG. In 2024, the company unveiled a concept for the world’s first esports island in Abu Dhabi. In Dubai, the team made headlines by launching the world’s first robotic dog waiters.
And in 2025, they announced eQueens Villa — the first-ever women-only gaming space in the Arab region — a groundbreaking move for the industry and the community. Also in 2025, True Gamers will become the first GCC-based brand to host an international esports tournament in the region, further solidifying its leadership in the market.
