Blizzard Entertainment announced today that they will soon be opening “Blizzard Arena”, their all-new dedicated esports competition venue located in Burbank, CA. The arena has finished construction and is set to have its grand opening next month with a number of professional Blizzard game tournaments.
As the first truly esports-focused event destination, Blizzard Arena has been designed specifically for gaming competitions, with all the challenges and potential obstacles that that can include already anticipated and accounted for. The venue will feature a number of sound stages, control rooms, and player lounges throughout the facility, and is said to be able to support multiple events and broadcasts, separately and simultaneously. There are also plans to include an on-site Blizzard store, which will be open during events and feature a rotating inventory of goodies and swag based on the esports event taking place at that time.
On the new venue, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Morhaime says:
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 honored to bring the best in Blizzard esports to the same stage that some of the biggest names in entertainment have called home.
The true “grand opening” of the Blizzard Arena will be on October 7, when the playoffs of the Overwatch Contenders league will come to play for the arena’s very first event. The following week, the Summer Championship for the Hearthstone Championship Tour will come through the arena for a full weekend, bringing crowds of Blizzard fans to watch the players battle over the $250,000 USD prize pool.
And, when the Overwatch League picks up a few months from now, Blizzard Arena will be its official home.