Team Liquid, the U.S. based esports organisation has revealed plans for a brand new custom-built training facility in West Los Angeles.
The new space will be 9,000 square foot in size, which will not only house a practice facility with scrim rooms and bootcamp space, but also offices for support staff, screening rooms and a dedicated space for Team Liquid’s in-house production company “1UP Studios”. The release also emphasises the space will promote a healthy work-life balance amongst players.
The new interactive website features two videos with Steve “112” Arhancet introducing the grand plans. In one video he states that the concept of a gaming house in a residential neighbourhood with all staff and players is “antiquated” and outdated before stating that Team Liquid wants to “set a precedent for how players and staff integrate and operate like a real company”. The L.A. facility will effectively work as a North American hub, whilst Team Liquid also have a base in the Netherlands where European bootcamps will continue to take place. Arhancet continues: “I think that it’s really important that players have that separation between work and personal and are able to come to work and put the jersey on before going home to rest and relax in their own personal bedroom”.
Team Liquid has not had a bad time of late. Last weekend, the esports organisation’s Dota 2 team won the largest esports tournament by prize money in history. The European squad defied all odds in battling through the lower bracket and sweeping Chinese squad Newbee in the grand final to take home no less than $10,000,000 between them. Additionally, Liquid’s LCS team avoided relegation thus, one would assume, effectively ensuring a franchise spot under Riot’s new League of Legends format for North America.
The new plans sit in line with the new rules for franchises, whereby state of the art facilities must be provided to rosters competing in the new franchised NALCS. The interactive website has in depth information about each of the zones displayed above — which include extensive catering, rooms dedicated for team’s coaches and analysts as well as a “Challenger Room”, insinuating that Team Liquid is confident of picking up a franchise spot and thus holding an academy team in the NACS.
“We’re levelling up the traditional model of the gaming house,” said Steve Arhancet, Co-CEO of Team Liquid. “The new Team Liquid Headquarters in Los Angeles will be a customised player training facility and office work space representing the next evolution of infrastructure for esports – a benefit for all of our ten teams. Our new HQ makes a statement about the culture of our organisation and the influence of our ownership group, aXiomatic. Player well-being is essential and the new space will not only be an effective work environment, but promote a healthier lifestyle and cross-pollination among teams.”
Esports Insider says: From the initial plans, the new space looks awesome. It’s great to see Team Liquid forging the way and further professionalising the esports space with impressive plans. There’s going to be a lot going on in the L.A. base, that’s for sure.