Esports Stadium Arlington

The $10-million, 2,500-seat facility is also a bellwether for the live esports event market in North America and abroad. Esports as an industry is coming of age and looking for new anchor developments. Professional sports teams are getting in the game and helping fuel projections of $1 billion in global revenue. It’s no wonder Arlington, home to iconic entertainment destinations like Six Flags and AT&T Stadium, was well-positioned to take advantage by transforming a large swath of its convention center.

Before it all could happen, however, our esports designers and the larger project team needed to play the role of pioneers. The shortage of quality, purpose-built esports venues in the United States left little precedent. Our goal was simple: create one of the first blueprints for a tailor-made esports venue to compete and train.

A  Design & Build project, Esports Stadium Arlington benefited from a committed build partner in Shawmut Design and Construction. The project started and finished in less than a year, a testament to the chemistry and creativity of all involved parties. The result is a venue that boasts more amenities than most in its market. A retail store, gamer gallery, team training and lounge spaces and production studio all flank the major competition event space.

The competition area literally steals the show thanks to a massive stage and built-in LED wall spanning 85 feet. Theatrical lighting and sound systems immerse the crowd in gameplay, while a VIP hospitality section offers elevated vantage points and taps new revenue streams.

Esports Stadium Arlington presented our designers with the opportunity to not only open a building but establish a brand. Integrated throughout the facility — from signage to apparel — is a Populous-designed identity system headlined by the Esports Stadium mark.

As impressive as the public spaces are, the venue’s back-of-house components drip with bleeding-edge tech and functional layouts. Sports facilities have microscopic margins of error when it comes to their IT infrastructure — and esports venues are no different. The bandwidth bar may be even higher thanks to the popularity of streaming esports broadcasts online.

From a data center to world-class production studio, all of these spaces buzzed with activity and the whirl of computer fans during Esports Stadium Arlington’s inaugural event. When the dust settled from the facility’s debut weekend, it was clear the appetite for live esports is only starting to be met. That was evident both from the $750,000 prize pool and the tournament becoming the most watched of its kind in YouTube history.

The venue’s success also showcases the adaptive re-use potential of existing facilities. Whether it’s from the ground-up or a custom renovation, our esports expertise is leading the way in defining this emerging building type.