An underused nightclub at the Luxor Hotel and Casino is set to be transformed into Esports Arena Las Vegas, as the first permanent esports venue on The Strip is set to open in early 2018.
“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,” said Jud Hannigan, CEO of Allied Esports International, via press 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.”
Esports Arena Las Vegas is working with Luxor and design firm YWS Design & Architecture to transform the space currently occupied by a 30,000-square-foot nightclub into a multi-level arena complete with a competition stage, LED video wall, telescopic seating, daily gaming stations, a robust food and beverage offering, and state-of-the-art streaming and television-quality production studios. The arena will provide a ready-to-go championship destination for tournaments, leagues and high stakes match-ups.
For Luxor, the installation of a millennial-centered venue is a path toward expanding the potential customer base.
“Our company is the leader in the entertainment industry and recognizes the exciting growth in esports,” said Luxor GM Niklas Rytterstrom. “With this partnership, we will introduce a new experience to the market, once again elevating the city’s vast entertainment offerings.”
The Esports Arena brand launched in Santa Ana, Calif. in 2015 with the opening of North America’s first dedicated esports facility. Since then, the company has created both an online and offline social and competitive gaming experience that has attracted game developers, sponsors and hundreds of thousands of players and fans from the many game communities to events in Santa Ana, and reached millions of viewers around the world with its live online broadcasts and post-produced content. The first step in its North American expansion was the announcement of Esports Arena Oakland last year, which will be opening its doors in the coming months.
Renderings courtesy Allied Esports International.