Gaming Grows Up

Esports moves out of the basement and into its own tournamentready stadium

arlington, texas, 20 miles outside Dallas, may be best known for AT&T Stadium, or “Jerry World,” a standing paean to football (and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones). But with the November opening of Esports Stadium Arlington, officials are hoping the city becomes the epicenter of esports, the rapidly growing industry expected to generate $1.7 billion in revenue by 2021. The largest such venue in North America, at 100,000 square feet, it features an 80-foot-wide stage where some of the best gamers in the world go head-tohead, an 85-foot LED wall that displays their moves, theatrical lighting, and seating for 2,000. It is the latest in a wave of dedicated esports temples, including Esports Arena Las Vegas at the Luxor and Esports Arena in Oakland, both of which opened last spring. The facilities are designed not just to host championship events, such as the $750,000 contest for the first-person-shooter game Counter-Strike Global Offensive that opened Arlington, but also to be training centers where gamers can gather and hone their skills. Esports has so much traction with young fans that traditional sports team executives from Jones to Michael Jordan, New England Patriots owner Bob

Kraft and New York Mets owner Jeff Wilpon have invested millions in nascent gaming franchises. Says Arlington city manager Trey Yelverton, “These guys are working in esports because it’s the future of engagement with the millennial crowd.”

J.W.