With esports tournaments selling out traditional sports stadiums, the idea of creating a space dedicated to competitive video gaming has been gaining traction. These esports arenas around the world may be a novelty, but they are rapidly delivering on the promise of creating exciting new places for esports fans to meet, watch their favorite teams come clashing at S-tier events, and mingle.
Esports stadiums are so much more than that. They are also a place where fans can visit during the off-season or even during the week to get in some quality gaming time, and even meet some of their heroes. The seats at esports arenas are in high demand and usually open to the public.
When tournaments are not taking place there, the venue becomes social hubs where gamers can come together. For all intents and purposes, an esports arena facility is designed like a South Korean BANG, where players come to socialize with their peers. As crowds at live esports events are getting bigger, so is the need for more quality venues that can host the thousands of players eager to get in on the action.
What's an Esports Arena?
The idea behind an esports arena is simple. This is a place where esports competitions take place. While these venues used to be multi-purpose or makeshift, meaning that some venue was converted to accommodate esports fans, we have seen the arrival of numerous video game arenas around the world that are specifically fit for the purpose, and in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, China, and beyond.
Today, esports arenas are there to accommodate the needs of esports fans. Perhaps no two games are more exemplary of what it means to have a home arena than Overwatch and Call of Duty. Both games are operated in a franchised league model that requires in-person attendance.
Yet, colleges have been building their own esports hubs and on-campus arena facilities to host various events related to competitive video gaming. The location of such arenas changes and it may be downtown, a university or even a more remote area. From Arlington to HyperX in Las Vegas, there are many great examples of such facilities.
While they are built to host international events that often feature huge prize pools, you can rest assured that live audiences can visit those centers in non-event hours and have a blast playing video games. Let's check out what some of the biggest esports arenas by country are.
Esports Arenas in the US
| Arena | Location | Capacity | Opened |
| Esports Stadium Arlington | Arlington, Texas | 2,500 | 2018 |
| Esports Arena Orange County | Santa Ana, California | 880 | 2018 |
| Full Sail University Orlando | Winter Park, California | 500 | 2019 |
| Fusion Arena | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 3,500 | TBD |
| HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas | Las Vegas, Nevada | 1,000 | 2018 |
| OGN Super Arena | Los Angeles, California | 500 | 2019 |
The US may not be a home of esports, but it definitely plays a crucial role in today's esports ecosystem. The majority of esports jobs and college degrees are based in North America, and the US in particular. As you can imagine, some of the biggest esports competitions take place on American soil, including the Call of Duty and Overwatch Leagues.
With this in mind, there are many esports events that need a proper place to be hosted out of. The country has at least six prime venues that are fully dedicated to hosting esports tournaments, with many other multi-purpose venues pitching in when necessary.
Esports Stadium Arlington
- City: Arlington, Texas
- Capacity: 2,500
- Opened: 2018
Esports Arena Orange County
- City: Santa Ana, California
- Capacity: 880
- Opened: 2018
Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress
- City: Winter Park, California
- Capacity: 500
- Opened: 2019
Fusion Arena
- City: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Capacity: 3,500
- Opened: TBD
HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas
- City: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Capacity: 1,000
- Opened: 2018
OGN Super Arena
- City: Los Angeles, California
- Capacity: 500
- Opened: 2019
Esports Arenas in the United Kingdom
| Arena | Location | Capacity | Opened |
| Belong London Oxford Street | London | 300 | 2019 |
| Bristol Esports Arena | London | 1,500 | 2023 |
| Dundee Esports Arena | London | 4,000 | 2024 |
| Esports Arena London | London | 60 | 2019 |
| Gfinity Arena | London | 600 | 2015 |
| Red Bull Gaming Sphere London | London | 200 | 2018 |
The United Kingdom has a surprising number of dedicated esports venues that make it exciting for players. Because of the smaller geographical size of the country, traveling to those venues is so much easier than it is in the United States. London is currently home of most of those arenas, however, which could make matters a little limited.
Thankfully, excellent transport connections make a trip to London on a weekend to see an esports event a walk in the park. The UK is home to many major esports teams and, as you can imagine, their arenas are definitely venues that will accommodate esports fans. If the US was one of the first to build esports stadiums, the UK is really putting in the work to scale that offer.
Belong London Oxford Street
- City: London
- Capacity: 300
- Opened: 2019
Bristol Esports Arena
- City: London
- Capacity: 1,500
- Opened: 2023
Dundee Esports Arena
- City: London
- Capacity: 4,000
- Opened: 2024
Esports Arena London
- City: London
- Capacity: 60
- Opened: 2019
Gfinity Arena
- City: London
- Capacity: 600
- Opened: 2015
Red Bull Gaming Sphere London
- City: London
- Capacity: 200
- Opened: 2018
Esports Arenas in South Korea
| Arena | Location | Capacity | Opened |
| Busan Esports Arena | Busan | 330 | 2020 |
| Gwangju Esports Arena | Gwangju | 1,000 | 2020 |
| LOL Park | Seoul | 400 | 2017 |
| V.SPACE | Seoul | 325 | 2020 |
| VSG Arena | Seoul | 100 | 2018 |
South Korea is a home to many esports. It has been one of the most competitive nations in the world and no small amount of that is owing to the nation's particular approach to gaming. Gamers in South Korea are dominating esports competitions across the board, whether this is League of Legends, StarCraft or Overwatch.
The reason behind this is the culture of BANGs, roughly the equivalent of Internet cafes minus the social stigma that behavior incurs in the west. South Korea sees gaming as an opportunities to socialize and the country has many dedicated venues where esports events are hosted.
Biggest among those are the Sangam World Cup Stadium with capacity of 20,000 seats and the Incheon Munhak Stadium with capacity of 40,000 seats. Please keep in mind that these two venues are multipurpose, meaning they are not exclusively used for competitive video gaming. Below, you can find a list of the full-time esports arenas fans visit in South Korea.
Busan Esports Arena
- City: Busan
- Capacity: 330
- Opened: 2020
Gwangju Esports Arena
- City: Gwangju
- Capacity: 1,000
- Opened: 2020
LOL Park
- City: Seoul
- Capacity: 400
- Opened: 2017
V.SPACE
- City: Seoul
- Capacity: 325
- Opened: 2020
VSG Arena
- City: Seoul
- Capacity: 100
- Opened: 2018
Esports Arenas in China
| Arena | Location | Capacity | Opened |
| Lianmeng Dianjing SEG Shenzhen Arena | Shenzhen | 230 | 2019 |
| Three Gorges Harbor Esports Stadium | Shenzhen | 6,000 | 2017 |
The love of China for esports is undeniable. Some of the world's finest gamers have been cultivated in the crucible of the highly-competitive esports ecosystem in the country. When West meets East in any competitions, Chinese players are enigmas who deliver on ground-breaking experiences and strategies that upset the status quo.
Just look at League of Legends and you will see how many times Chinese players have won the biggest chunk of the prize pool in the Worlds in the past. While esports adoption is undeniable in the country, cities have been putting a lot of time into developing state-of-the-art locations for the purposes of gaming.
The country is still lagging behind the US, though, insofar as esports stadiums go, but there are some noteworthy venues to check out. Not least, the Mercedes-Benz Arena Shanghai was built with the idea of hosting major esports tournaments, featuring 18,000 seats. Even though the facility is a multi-purpose one, it's still one of the best arenas in the country.
Lianmeng Dianjing SEG Shenzhen Arena
- City: Shenzhen
- Capacity: 230
- Opened: 2019
Three Gorges Harbor Esports Stadium
- City: Shenzhen
- Capacity: 6,000
- Opened: 2017
Esports Arenas in Canada
| Arena | Location | Capacity | Opened |
| The Gaming Stadium | Richmond | 275 | 2019 |
| Toronto Esports Arena | Toronto | 7,000 | 2025 |
Canada is another nation which is getting serious about video gaming. Cities such as Toronto are present in Overwatch making the arrival of dedicated arenas a natural consequence. Presently, the country only has two esports stadiums to speak of, not counting any multi-purpose venue. Regardless, Canada's esports ecosystem is thriving and the new facilities capable of hosting esports are proliferating.
The Gaming Stadium
- City: Richmond
- Capacity: 275
- Opened: 2019
Toronto Esports Arena
- City: Toronto
- Capacity: 7,000
- Opened: 2025
Esports Arenas in the Rest of the World
| Arena | Location | Capacity | Opened |
| WePlay Esports Arena Kyiv | Kyiv, Ukraine | 160 | 2020 |
| Yota Arena | Moscow, Russia | 1,000 | 2017 |
| Fortress Melbourne | Melbourne, Australia | 1,000 | 2020 |
There are other nations that are rushing to set up their esports stadium facilities. While some are starting small, they hold a big promise for esports. Below is a list that features some of the other noteworthy facilities around the globe that you may want to visit if you happen to be in the same country.
WePlay Esports Arena Kyiv
- City: Kyiv, Ukraine
- Capacity: 160
- Opened: 2020
Yota Arena
- City: Moscow, Russia
- Capacity: 1,000
- Opened: 2017
Fortress Melbourne
- City: Melbourne, Australia
- Capacity: 1,000
- Opened: 2020
Where to Find Esports Arenas
The list of esports arenas is still in progress. We have specifically featured those facilities that are exclusively dedicated to esports tournaments and competitions. There are other venues that still host esports but they are marked as “multi-purpose,” meaning that they may be used for various entertainment purposes. If you think we have missed out on an important esports landmark, please let us know at contact@esportsgrizzly.com.
Esports Arenas FAQs
What is the largest esports arena in the world?
Presently, the largest esports arena in the world is the Three Gorges Harbor Esports Stadium. This is to say that the arena is the largest esports-only arena that is currently completed. The Toronto Esports Arena, which is due to arrive in 2025, is tipped to have a capacity of 7,000 seats, that is 1,000 seats more than Three Gorgers Harbor.
How to find esports arena locations?
To find esports arena locations simply Google the name of each esports venue. These facilities are very popular and they will immediately show up on a regular search. Google is not the only engine that will display them, so you can rest assured that you will be able to look up the working hours, location and any specific information about the arena you want to visit in the matter of seconds.
What are the usual esports arenas hours?
Esports arena hours will vary from one venue to the next. There is usually an eight-hour break in opening hours when most of these facilities are closed, but you can always reference the website of each arena to check the exact hours specifically.
Do I need to pay to get admitted to an esports arena?
This depends. Some facilities have a free entry but others will charge a small fee. Whenever an esports tournament or event is held at such facilities, you have to double-check with the organizers to see if you need to buy tickets. Most usually, the answer is yes. Esports is a massive phenomenon and people are willing to pay to watch live games and be in attendance.
Are there esports arenas in the US?
Yes, the United States leads the way insofar as esports arenas are concerned. The country has many multi-purpose and hundred-percent dedicated esports spaces and facilities found both on commercial and college grounds.
Universities are joining the esports race and they are investing in stadiums and facilities to train their teams. Meanwhile, esports in the US is getting popular enough to sell out full stadiums.
