Gaming history was made in Dubai as Fehmi Atalar of Turkiye won the inaugural Red Bull Tetris World Final, becoming the tournament’s first global champion. The historic final was played live at the Dubai Frame, where Tetris gameplay was displayed in the sky using thousands of drones, marking the first official live playable Tetris game ever staged in this format.
Fehmi Atalar Wins Inaugural Red Bull Tetris World Final in Dubai
The Red Bull Tetris World Final brought together the best players from around the world after months of qualifiers across 60 countries. Following more than seven million games played globally, the competition concluded with a high-pressure Grand Final between Atalar and Peru’s Leo Solorzano.
Before the final showdown, the two finalists faced off in a three-minute pre-final match to decide the order of play. After winning the pre-final, Atalar chose to play second in the decisive single-player Grand Final, where each player was given five minutes to post the highest score.
Solorzano set the opening benchmark with a score of 57,164. Atalar responded with a composed and clinical performance, rapidly stacking points as 2,800 drones recreated every Tetrimino movement in real time across the 150-metre-tall Dubai Frame. When the clock expired, Atalar had secured victory with a commanding score of 168,566.
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A world-first spectacle at the Dubai Frame
The World Final was staged as a large-scale live show, featuring 4,000 drones, custom live music, and special guest appearances. The use of drones to generate real-time gameplay visuals turned the Grand Final into a landmark moment for competitive gaming and live entertainment.
The build-up to the final began earlier at Terra Solis in the Arabian Dunes, where national champions competed in seeding rounds and knockout brackets. The event also saw the presence of Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov and Tetris Company co-founder Henk Rogers, who interacted with players ahead of the final stages.
In the semi-finals, Atalar defeated South Korea’s national winner, while Solórzano overcame his French opponent to book a place in the title match.
From mobile qualifiers to a global final
The Red Bull Tetris tournament introduced a fast-paced competitive format featuring three-minute rounds, gravity shifts, speed boosts, and special power-ups. The competition progressed from mobile qualifiers to PC-based national and world finals, before concluding with the drone-based Grand Final in Dubai.
With his win, Fehmi Atalar not only claimed the first Red Bull Tetris global title but also etched his name into gaming history as the champion of a one-of-a-kind world final that redefined how competitive Tetris can be presented on a global stage.