Blizzard are set to open a “cutting-edge” dedicated eSports arena at Burbank Studios, Los Angeles, next month.
The games publisher is behind titles including as Overwatch, Hearthstone and World of Warcraft.
The venue will be the company’s first dedicated eSports arena in LA.
It will be tailored to host eSports events and will include a variety of sound stages, control rooms and practice facilities for high-level competition and broadcasting. There will also be a Blizzard retail store.
Blizzard CEO, Mike Morhaime, said: “We’re at a tipping point for eSports and we look forward to helping usher in a new era of competition-based entertainment. As we open the doors of Blizzard Arena Los Angeles and welcome fans from around the world, we’re honoured to bring the best in Blizzard eSports to the same stage that some of the biggest names in entertainment have called home.”
The venue will open in time with the Overwatch Contenders Season One Playoffs on the weekend of October 7th. The Hearthstone Championship Tour Summer Championship following on October 13th.
The market for eSports and competitive video gaming continues to grow at an exponential rate with analysts predicting that the eSports industry will reach $1.5 billion by 2020.
https://www.licensing.biz/news/read/blizzard-to-opening-first-esports-arena-in-la/046515?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=Licensing.biz%20Morning%20Briefing