New Las Vegas eSports arena to host $50k Halo qualifier

THE eSports revolution continues this week in Las Vegas, which is set to unveil the city’s first dedicated online gaming venue.

Located near the downtown casino hub in an area that once housed clubs and theatres, the arena features stadium-style seating for 200 spectators and a separate halls where hundreds more can watch on big screens.

It will open its doors for the first time on Friday, March 3, when it hosts a $50,000 Halo World Championship qualifying event.

The new facility is also slated for an EA Sports Madden 17 NFL tournament later in the month.

This is just the latest is a series moves aimed at attracting a new breed of visitors to North America’s entertainment capital.

“Las Vegas needs to consistently reinvent itself to remain relevant to the up-and-coming generation,” said Seth Schorr, CEO of Fifth Street Gaming.

“We’ve always come up with ways to maintain our position as the entertainment capital of the world.”

Schorr is also a board member of Millennial Esports, which was the driving force behind the new stadium.

The firm’s chief executive, Alex Igelman, believes the competitive gaming boom will provide Vegas with a golden opportunity to attract young adults who have veered away from Sin City’s particular brand of entertainment.

“The younger people don’t get enamoured by the glitz and the glitter of something; it’s all about authenticity for them,” he said.

The eSports scene has gone from strength to strength in recent times, blossoming from a niche pursuit into what many have dubbed the next big thing in world sport.

February saw the unveiling of the NBA 2K eLeague – a professional virtual basketball division that will see expert gamers ply their trade for some of the biggest sporting franchises in the United States.

“E-sports no longer needs to be legitimised; it’s a huge sport already,” said Mike Sepso, co-founder of Major League Gaming.

“There are e-sports fans everywhere in this country.”

Our thoughts on the new Las Vegas eSports arena

You don’t need to look too far back for examples of fringe sports flourishing in Nevada.

Mixed martial arts was little more than a mere curiosity 15 years ago, but now the Ultimate Fighting Championship is one of the most valuable sporting franchises on the planet.

Competitive video gaming is already booming, especially now that a major organisation such as the NBA is involved.

Shooter titles such as CS:GO, Dota2 and LoL now boast a dedicated cult following that is growing year on year.

Heck, around 20,000 turned up for the 2016 League of Legends World Championship finals at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Even so, that realm of e-gaming is nothing compared to the global mainstream appeal of virtual sports games such as NBA 2K and FIFA.

That is how Vegas will capture the millennials who don’t like casino games, night clubs, or titty bars, and it is how eSports will conquer the world.