The National Collegiate eSports Association's championships for "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive" and "League of Legends" last weekend were hosted at eSports Arena, a 15,000-square-foot venue in downtown Santa Ana that "claims the title of the first dedicated eSports facility in North America," according to Katherine Richcreek of the PASADENA STAR-NEWS. The venue doubles "as an event venue and a landing center for local gamers." It is equipped to host "productions on par with ESL Gaming, a company that organizes events worldwide." Its various capabilities, "from broadcast production to a warm-up area for players," are what drew governing body NCeSPA to the "otherwise nondescript warehouse." eSports Arena Account Exec Luke Brue said, "Southern California is a good home for eSports." Richcreek notes the region also is home to Blizzard Entertainment, the "developer behind blockbuster games" like "World of Warcraft" and "Diablo." NCeSPA, which "hosts competition for more than 100 schools in the U.S. and Canada between its two leagues, joined at least one other organization to bring its collegiate competition to the Santa Ana venue" (PASADENA STAR-NEWS, 6/28). TBS also has a 10,000-square-foot space for its ELeague broadcasts at Turner Studios in Atlanta, which can set a few hundred spectators. The eSports Arena has a maximum capacity of 1,000 people if the venue includes both the floor space and mezzanine area (THE DAILY).
