Major Gaming Arenas in the United States
Gaming arenas, also known as esports venues, have been growing in popularity across the United States in recent years. These arenas are designed specifically for hosting competitive gaming events, with state-of-the-art technology, seating for fans, and often live-streaming capabilities. Below is a list of some of the prominent gaming arenas in the U.S., though more may continue to emerge as the industry grows.
Location: Arlington, Texas
Opened: 2018
Capacity: 2,500
Overview: One of the largest dedicated esports facilities in North America, this stadium features high-end broadcasting, multiple training spaces, and seating for large audiences. It is used for a variety of gaming events, including tournaments for games like "Overwatch" and "Fortnite."
HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas
Location: Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
Opened: 2018
Capacity: 1,000
Overview: Situated inside the Luxor Hotel, the HyperX Esports Arena is one of the most famous esports venues in the U.S. It features a massive LED video wall, telescopic seating, a competition stage, and production studios for live streaming.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Opened: 2021
Overview: This is Nerd Street Gamers' 40,000-square-foot esports training and event center. It hosts tournaments and serves as a hub for amateur esports leagues. The Block includes professional training facilities and broadcasting studios.
Full Sail University's Fortress Esports Arena
Location: Winter Park, Florida
Opened: 2019
Capacity: 500
Overview: Full Sail's Fortress is the largest collegiate esports arena in the U.S. It was built to host esports competitions and offer students an opportunity to engage in the growing industry of competitive gaming.
Location: Oakland, California
Overview: Allied Esports has been a big player in esports, and their Oakland location is one of their North American strongholds. The arena hosts regular tournaments and streams for major esports titles, serving both professional players and fans.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Overview: ReKTGlobal, the parent company of Rogue (a professional esports team), has a gaming arena in Las Vegas where it hosts esports competitions and events. This venue is frequently used for team training and media content creation.
Localhost by Nerd Street Gamers
Multiple Locations: Philadelphia, Denver, Austin, and others
Overview: Nerd Street Gamers' "Localhost" venues are smaller gaming centers with multiple locations across the U.S. They host both local competitions and larger-scale esports tournaments. Localhost locations focus on providing spaces for amateur and semi-professional gamers to practice and compete.
Location: Santa Ana, California
Opened: 2015
Overview: Esports Arena Orange County is one of the first dedicated esports venues in the U.S. The venue regularly hosts professional and amateur tournaments for games like "League of Legends" and "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive." It also offers space for gaming fans to play casually.
Location: Los Angeles, California
Overview: The Gaming Stadium, situated in Los Angeles, serves as a hub for Southern California's esports events. This arena is geared toward smaller-scale tournaments, workshops, and casual gaming events.
Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort
Location: Atlantic City, New Jersey
Capacity: 5,500
Overview: While Ovation Hall is a multi-purpose arena, it has been transformed into an esports venue for major events, including the Gears of War Pro Circuit and other major tournaments. Atlantic City has been building a reputation as a destination for esports.
Houston Outlaws Arena (Proposed)
Location: Houston, Texas
Overview: This is a proposed esports arena for the Houston Outlaws, a professional Overwatch team. Plans suggest that it will be a state-of-the-art arena specifically designed for hosting large esports tournaments.
Other Notable Esports and Gaming Venues:
Esports Stadium (Philadelphia Fusion) (Planned) – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Helix eSports Center – North Bergen, New Jersey
Maverik Center (Esports Events) – West Valley City, Utah
Altitude Esports Arena – Denver, Colorado
Microsoft Flagship Store Gaming Lounge – New York City, New York
Belong Gaming Arenas – Several U.S. cities (franchise model arenas by Vindex and Game Digital)