Entertainment and dining company GameWorks is set to introduce esports lounges in four more of its locations.
With the addition of lounges in Norfolk on February 28th, Chicago on March 7th, Minneapolis on March 14th, and Cincinnati on March 20th, all seven venues owned by the company will soon have its own esports lounge.
These lounges allow customers to compete in numerous games, with each venue being equipped with 20-40 PCs and consoles. Competitions will be held on a regular basis at each of the new, and existing, lounges; it’s estimated that 200 tournaments will be held at GameWorks’ locations on a monthly basis.
Philip N. Kaplan, CEO of GameWorks discussed the venutre: “eSports is rapidly gaining momentum worldwide. As an established leader in competitive gaming and entertainment, GameWorks is well positioned to capitalize on this burgeoning space. Our strong foothold in eSports – now that we’ll have Lounges in every location – further strengthens our leadership position and will serve as a springboard for future growth. We are evolving right alongside this exciting new world of eSports, and by partnering with best-of-breed eSports industry constituents – publishers, players and leagues – we’re bringing players and spectators exactly what they want.
“We’re completely focused on catering to our guests, and have created engaging, inviting and comfortable spaces, allowing us to further elevate the overall eSports experience at all our stores. The expansion of our eSports Lounges makes GameWorks the preferred destination for eSports gamers and enthusiasts alike.
This may sound similar to Topgolf’s recent venture. Announced in December last year, the sports entertainment company partnered with TCL to create esports lounges at six of its venues across the States.
Esports Insider says: As esports continues to rise in popularity and mainstream presence, it’s sensible to expect more areas for competition such as GameWorks’ efforts to crop up. If and when GameWorks grows in the future, it’d be nice to see an esports lounge be built as default alongside the rest of its offerings.