【1997 Archives】

Blizzard Entertainment's esports will get their own home soon: Blizzard Arena Los Angeles997 Archives located in Burbank, California.

The brand new arena will host a handful of Blizzard's esports competitions, including the upcoming first season of OverwatchLeague and the HearthstoneChampionship Tour's Summer Championship. The arena opens its doors Oct. 7 and 8 for the OverwatchContenders playoffs.

SEE ALSO: 'Overwatch' highest-paid pro had his mom sign his $150,000 contract, because he's still a minor

Located in Burbank Studios (where The Tonight Show used to be produced), Blizzard Arena has been designed specifically for esports competitions and broadcasts, and will be able to hold about 450 attendees depending on the event.

"With multiple sound stages, control rooms, and practice facilities, Blizzard Arena Los Angeles was built to support a full slate of competitive events year-round," Blizzard said in a release. "In addition, the Burbank, California arena will house a Blizzard retail store that rotates stock for event attendees based on the competitions taking place at the time."

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Multiple sound stages means multiple matches can be played and broadcast at the same time. And it sounds like there will be ample practice space for teams on deck.

The first season of Blizzard's ambitious Overwatch League, which kicks off at a to-be-announced date this year, will be hosted in Los Angeles as teams around the world find home arenas in the cities they represent. At least some of the matches will be played at Blizzard Arena.

Blizzard Arena will also host portions of this year's Heroes of the StormGlobal Championship Finals and World of WarcraftArena Championship matches ahead of BlizzCon in early November.

This isn't the first esports-centric arena in the United States. The ELeague Arena in Turner's studios in Atlanta has played host to Counter-Strike, Street Fighter, and Overwatchcompetitions. League of Legendsdeveloper Riot Games also has its own Battle Arena in Los Angeles for North American LeagueChampionship Series matches.

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Topics Blizzard Entertainment Esports Gaming

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