Las Vegas epsorts arena expected to be the Madison Square Garden of esports
The Las Vegas Strip is getting its first-ever dedicated esports arena in 2018 and its going to replace a nightclub at the iconic Luxor Hotel and Casino.
The venue -- called Esports Arena Las Vegas -- was announced today by Esports Arena and its investor Allied Esports. The companies currently operate esports venues in Santa Ana, California, and Beijing, as well as a pop-up esports arena truck in Europe.
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"We have very ambitious expansion plans over the next two years, and when we realized that a location at Luxor was possible, we jumped at the opportunity to develop our flagship here," Jud Hannigan, CEO of Allied Esports International, said in a release. "Just as Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden and Wembley Stadium are considered their sports' most aspirational venues by players and fans alike, Esports Arena Las Vegas will be the iconic destination in esports and complement the city's incredible appeal, attracting video gaming competitors and fans from around the world."
The Esports Arena Las Vegas will take the place of a 30,000-square-foot nightclub at the Luxor and will be set up for live streaming of events. The venue will have multiple floors, a stage and screen setup like most esports venues, telescopic seating, and "a robust food and beverage offering."
Although this will be the first dedicated esports arena to grace the Vegas Strip, Sin City is no stranger to esports. The fighting game tournament Evo has taken place at the Mandalay Bay arena for years and the DreamHack Masters Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament recently went down at MGM Grand. Off the Strip, there is the esports arena run by Millennial Esports, which is around 15,000-square-feet and sits 200 people.
Esports Arena and Allied Esports' ambitious expansion plans don't just include the new arena in Las Vegas -- they plan to announce 10 to 15 new esports arenas in North America over the next few years. Esports Arena has already announced a new venue coming to Oakland, California, expected to open this year.
