A new player rises

You’ve described FUZE as a response to the “crowded and chaotic” influencer space. From your point of view, what structural problems are brands and creators facing today in the MENA region that traditional influencer platforms aren’t solving?

The issue isn’t just that the space is crowded, it’s misaligned with how gaming and tech audiences consume content in MENA. Traditional influencer platforms treat gaming creators like lifestyle influencers, but our Ipsos research conducted in December 2024 on gamers’ behaviours across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Jordan shows that 71% of gamers trust gaming influencers precisely because of their expertise and authenticity within the gaming ecosystem.

The real challenges are discovery, measurement and cultural understanding. Brands struggle to find creators who genuinely resonate with gaming audiences, not just those with big follower counts. And when they do, the tools they use to measure performance are flawed. Most platforms still focus on vanity metrics like followers or impressions, but in gaming campaigns what really matters is engagement – how actively the audience interacts with the content. Focusing on real-time performance data and gaming creators in MENA helps us achieve engagement rates of 62-71%, which is far higher than typical lifestyle influencers.

The final gap is cultural nuance. MENA audiences are distinct, so we need to address these gaps by focusing exclusively on gaming and tech creators, providing deeper analytics that actually drive decisions and tailoring strategies to the unique dynamics of each market in the region.

How is the rise of the creator economy shifting the dynamics of storytelling, particularly for entertainment, gaming and media brands?

We’re witnessing a shift from one-way broadcast storytelling to collaborative narratives co-created with creators. In gaming especially, this matters – our Ipsos research shows 75% of MENA gamers value engaging storylines and want to be part of shaping them. Live streams and interactive formats now rival and often outperform traditional broadcasts. A creator with 100,000 highly engaged followers can drive more meaningful impact than a TV ad reaching millions, which is why major publishers like EA and PlayStation are moving significant marketing budgets from traditional media buying to creator collaborations, where authenticity and engagement rates are dramatically higher.

At the same time, creators are raising their production standards, producing documentary-style content, branded series and even influencing game development through community feedback, while traditional media companies are adopting more authentic, interactive approaches to stay relevant.

With the numbers you have, what are the opportunities in this space?

In the MENA gaming market, penetration is as high as 86% in mature markets like the UAE, representing around 6.75m gamers. But here’s what’s remarkable: across all our surveyed markets, 77% of gamers say in-game advertisements influence their purchasing decisions, and yet most traditional brands are still barely scratching the surface of this opportunity. The spending power is significant too, with average monthly in-game spending ranging from $13 in Egypt to $24 in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

From a creator economy perspective, 70% of gamers are influenced by gaming content creators and 63% take immediate action after seeing influencer content, whether that’s visiting a website, following a brand or making a purchase. We also see gaming as a consistent habit, with gamers active four to five days per week, with peak engagement between 5pm and midnight, which makes timing campaigns crucial.

MENA is home to a large and engaged gaming audience, yet the infrastructure for creator-brand collaboration has lagged behind. Why do you think that gap existed for so long, and what has changed for marketing platforms?

The gap existed because the region was long viewed through a Western lens that underestimated the depth of its gaming ecosystem. International platforms saw MENA as a smaller, less sophisticated market, while regional players stuck to traditional advertising instead of developing the creator economy. That changed when the data became impossible to ignore. In Saudi Arabia alone, 59% of gamers are aged 15- 24 – a young, highly engaged audience brands can’t overlook. At the same time, government investment, particularly Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiatives and the Esports World Cup, positioned gaming as both an economic and cultural priority. Add the surge in digital adoption during Covid-19 and the entry of major gaming publishers seeking regional expertise, and this became the perfect moment for platforms built specifically for this audience and ready to help brands tap into it effectively.

We see smart search engines helping to match creators and brands. How is data or criteria prioritised in the matchmaking process?

Our matchmaking prioritises engagement, content quality and audience relevance over surface-level numbers. We look closely at what games creators actually play versus what they post about; who their audiences are and how these audiences engage with their content across platforms; and their relevance within the MENA markets. The algorithmic layer handles the heavy lifting, analysing real-time engagement rates, demographics and content performance, but the human element is crucial.

Cultural context can’t be automated. For example, a creator might have perfect metrics on paper but if they don’t understand Saudi gaming culture versus Egyptian preferences, the campaign will fail. It’s about knowing that Egyptian gamers gravitate toward different genres than Emirati gamers, or how Ramadan affects engagement patterns.

With influencer-led campaigns being increasingly multi-platform and multi-format, what role do you see emerging for production standards, IP protection and brand safety, especially for broadcasters and content distributors considering creator collaborations?

As creator content professionalises, the framework around it has to evolve. Broadcasters and distributors now require consistent production standards that ensure quality without stripping away the creator’s authenticity. IP protection is a growing concern, particularly with cross-platform content reuse and global syndication. Contracts need to clearly define rights, ownership and licensing terms to avoid downstream conflicts.

Brand safety is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity. Given the spontaneous nature of creator content, campaigns require proper vetting, ongoing monitoring and safeguards.

Gaming and esports increasingly overlap with entertainment. Where do you see the growth potential for media and entertainment companies?

Gaming is no longer a niche vertical, it’s becoming the foundation of modern digital entertainment. We’re seeing strong growth in hybrid formats – creator-led docuseries, gaming documentaries, behind-the-scenes esports content and interactive shows. Publishers like Riot Games are creating Netflix series based on their games, while traditional media companies invest directly in creators. For media and entertainment companies, the opportunity lies in understanding that gaming audiences are mainstream and expect interactive, authentic content.

Influencer marketing in the gaming space can sometimes face scepticism around authenticity and ROI. How can transparency and campaign performance be tracked in a way that satisfies both creative freedom and business accountability?

It starts with working only with creators who genuinely play and understand the games they promote. Our research shows that 65% of gamers trust gaming influencers because they perceive them as authentic voices in the community. The trust disappears if content feels forced.

On measurement, we, for instance, go beyond basic reach and impressions. We track how content influences real behaviour from website visits to purchases, connecting creator activity to business outcomes. Brands see not only how many people engaged but how it affected perception and conversion.

It is important to maintain creative freedom by collaborating closely with creators on campaign objectives, allowing them to integrate brand messages naturally. This approach consistently yields higher engagement and better ROI because the content feels authentic while meeting business goals.

Some platforms in this space operate as open marketplaces; others lean on curated talent rosters or agency models. Where do you sit on that spectrum?

We operate as a curated marketplace with gaming expertise as our filter, combining the scale of an open platform with the quality control of curation. Open marketplaces often lack quality standards, while pure agency models limit creator diversity. Our focus is on gaming credibility rather than arbitrary exclusion. Creators need to demonstrate genuine gaming knowledge, consistent content quality and the ability to collaborate professionally.

We continuously monitor performance and community feedback to ensure relevance. Creators who consistently deliver results and maintain authentic audience relationships remain in our ecosystem, while those who don’t meet standards are coached or removed. Access isn’t based on size or experience level; we work with micro-influencers with 10,000 engaged gaming followers and major creators with millions of subscribers. What matters is authenticity and the trust they hold with their audiences.

Are sectors like tech, fashion or entertainment more aggressive or experimental in tapping into the creator economy? What trends are you seeing in how different industries approach this space?

Gaming publishers were early adopters because they intuitively understood the space, but we’re now seeing surprising aggression from non-endemic brands. Fast food chains, for instance, are heavily investing in gaming creator partnerships – McDonald’s shows a 43-58% brand association with gaming across our markets. Tech brands are most experimental, particularly those targeting younger demographics. Cryptocurrency and fintech companies are among the most aggressive entrants, though they require careful brand safety considerations.

Fashion brands are entering through virtual merchandise and creator collaborations, while entertainment companies are taking a more strategic approach – co-creating content with creators, developing gaming-focused series and using creator insights to inform new productions. Across all industries, we’re seeing a clear shift from transactional partnerships to long-term collaborations that drive deeper engagement and co-created content.

As AI and automation continue to evolve, what parts of the brand-creator collaboration process do you think should remain human-driven, and where do you see real value in using tech to streamline or enhance outcomes?

Cultural understanding and relationship building must remain human-driven. Achieving localised content requires understanding gaming preferences and community dynamics that AI simply cannot replicate. Creative direction and authenticity assessment also need human judgment. Determining whether a creator genuinely resonates with their audience or is just performing for metrics requires contextual insight that algorithms can’t provide. Where AI shines is in scale. We use it for real-time performance monitoring, demographic analysis and initial creator-brand compatibility assessment. But the real value comes from combining it with human insight – what we call augmented intelligence.

The Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia has put a global spotlight on the region’s ambitions. What long-term infrastructure or ecosystem investments still need to happen for MENA to become a sustainable global hub for creators and gaming?

The Esports World Cup demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s ambition to position itself as a global gaming hub, but lasting success requires building the ecosystem beyond major events. Two priorities stand out: First, creator economy infrastructure. This means better payment systems, legal frameworks for international brand partnerships and professional development programmes for creators. Creators have strong influence, but they need business education, contract negotiation support and professional management capabilities to operate at a global level.

Second, talent development. We need educational programmes that combine gaming expertise with business skills, content creation training and international market understanding.

When countries invest in creator training, digital infrastructure and long-term ecosystem building, they create hubs that attract global gaming companies, brands and talent, turning short-term visibility into sustainable growth.