Esports Stadium, Arlington, Unites States

Created in collaboration with the City of Arlington, Esports Stadium Arlington attracts competitive players and fans from around the world. The 100,000-square-foot space is the largest and most flexible of its kind in the USA and was completed in 2018.

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 on the game and helping fuel projections of $1 billion in global revenue. Already home to iconic entertainment destinations like Six Flags and the AT&T Stadium, Arlington was well-positioned to take advantage of transforming a large swathe of its convention centre. In this way, the venue’s success also showcases the adaptive re-use potential of existing facilities. 

Before it all could happen, however, Populous’ 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 provided little precedent. The goal was simple: create one of the first blueprints for a tailor-made esports venue to compete and train in.

A Populous 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 all parties involved. 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 steals the show thanks to a massive stage and built-in LED wall spanning some 85 ft. Theatrical lighting and sound systems immerse the crowd in gameplay, while a VIP hospitality section offers elevated vantage points, while tapping into new revenue streams.

In addition to presenting the opportunity to design a building, Esports Stadium Arlington provided an opening to establish a brand. Integrated throughout the facility – from signage to apparel – is a Populous-designed identity system headlined by the Esports Stadium mark.

Aside from the impressive public spaces, the venue’s back-of-house components drip with ultramodern 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.

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