$500M eSports venue coming to Toronto?!?!

[beowulf]

Wow lot's of money for a building dedicated to eSports.

Been playing video games my whole life but I just never got into watching others play. Sort of like soccer, I played high level soccer for years but never could get into watching it as much on tv, it's just better to play than watch.

It's a privately funded project that will seat 7000 people.

The site will also have areas for musicians and other entertainers.

https://www.cbc.ca/kidsnews/post/watch-new-500-million-esports-venue-coming-to-toronto-in-2025

Click to read more...

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Yikes.

Going to assume most of their revenue will come from non e-sport events...

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

What a waste honestly....

 

[H3ckt1k]

Absolutely love it, never been to a place with a better atmosphere than the lcs finals at the air canada centre. I hope it does well

 

[JaegerDice]

What a waste honestly....

It's privately funded. It'll be used for everything from concerts to business conferences.

eSports has been grossing incredibly fast worldwide. I understand wanting to try and get some of that money and hype in the Toronto area.

 

[kingsboy11]

500 million sounds like a lot for such a small venue. LAFC spent 350 million on their downtown stadium that holds 22,000. I understand its not just esports, but this venue needs to be used a lot

 

[93LEAFS]

If it's privately funded I don't care. Obviously, no Toronto taxpayer dollars should go towards it, but if its on the Ex grounds it will have multiple uses, and Toronto is lacking in indoor mid-sized concert venues ever since they tore down Guvernment/Koolhaus.

500 million sounds like a lot for such a small venue. LAFC spent 350 million on their downtown stadium that holds 22,000. I understand its not just esports, but this venue needs to be used a lot

It's 500m CAD which is still expensive, but it about 400m USD. Toronto real estate near the downtown core is a fortune, and I assume there is a significant real-estate deal here, and this may be part of getting some of that land opened up for condo developments since I don't think the condos in the rendering currently exist. I doubt it is the Weeknd paying for this, he's attached to some developer and lending his name. Funny how some of the most famous Torontonians are attached to E-Sports (Weeknd, Drake, Marner, and Hyman).

Edit: Okay, this article sums it up better. There is a hotel development attached.

OverActive Media announces US$500m Toronto esports arena

The new venue, which is slated for completion in 2025, will serve as the home for OverActive Media’s Call of Duty League (CDL) and Overwatch League (OWL) franchises, Toronto Ultra and Toronto Defiant. Expected to cost nearly US$500 million, it will also include a ‘theatre-style entertainment venue and hotel complex’.

The project will be the first new sports or entertainment venue built in Toronto since BMO Field, home of Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Toronto FC, in 2007.

Reports of the planned venue, which will be one of the largest esports-specific arenas in North America, first emerged last July.

The facility plans to host more than 200 events a year, driven primarily by premium music and entertainment bookings. As well as a full slate of esports events, it will also look to attract major city-wide conventions, corporate events, product launches and awards shows.

 

[93LEAFS]

Yikes.

Going to assume most of their revenue will come from non e-sport events...

What a waste honestly....

Toronto is lacking in mid-tier concert venues that can provide seated shows in the winter. I don't care about E-Sports but a new concert venue close to the core is a nice addition to the city.

 

[Byron Bitz]

Has COVID impacted the opening of this venue at all?

 

[Frankie Spankie]

I hope they have a good ventilation system because if there's one thing I've learned from going to PAX East a few times it's that that place is going to smell awful full of sweaty gamers.