If you needed any more proof that esports is taking over the gaming world, then look no further than the announcement that Blizzard Entertainment made today about their new esports venue, Blizzard Arena Los Angeles.  Described as the “cutting-edge live-event destination for pro-players, esports fans, and everyone else who loves premier competition,” the arena, located in Burbank, California, is the newest destination for your esports fix.

“We’re at a tipping point for esports and we look forward to helping usher in a new era of competition-based entertainment,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment said in a press release. “As we open the doors of Blizzard Arena Los Angeles and welcome fans from around the world, we’re honored to bring the best in Blizzard esports to the same stage that some of the biggest names in entertainment have called home.”

The Blizzard Arena Los Angeles will have multiple sound stages, control rooms, and practice facilities. The venue will host year-round events and there will be a retail store that will sell merchandise tailored to the events.

The venue will be opened to the public the weekend of October 7-8 for the Overwatch Contenders Season One Playoffs. This event will pit the top European and North American Overwatch teams against each other for a chance to be named one of the top Contender teams.

Related: See Mei’s Emotional Journey in New Overwatch Short ‘Rise and Shine’

Starting on October 13, the Hearthstone Championship Tour’s (HCT) Summer Championship will bring top Hearthstone players to the Blizzard Arena for a full week of competition. Players will be vying for a $250,000 prize. The Hearthstone World Championship will take place in early 2018.

In addition to the Overwatch and Hearthstone events, there will also be the Heroes of the Storm Global Championship (HGC) Finals and the World of Warcraft Arena Championships matches leading up to the finals at BlizzCon 2017 in Anaheim, California, on November 3-4.

Blizzard Arena Los Angeles will also be the home of the two Los Angeles Overwatch teams. These teams will be a part of the inaugural year of the Overwatch League. Other city franchises include Boston, New York City, London, Miami-Orlando, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Seoul.

Tickets are now available for the Overwatch Contenders Playoffs ($15-$25) and the HCT Summer Championship ($15-$40) through the Universe ticketing service.

What do you think about this new venue? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter. Personally, I’m excited to hear the news. I’ve been a huge fan of Blizzard esports for many years, so the opportunity to see more live events other than the ones at BlizzCon is good news for me. There was no word on whether or not other esport events like LoL, CSGO, Smash Brothers, or Street Fighter will have the opportunity to utilize this new venue, but I’m hopeful that we might see something in the future. 

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