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Los Angeles - the hub of esports in the West AUTHOR: Adam Fitch @byadamfitch
sports is a distinctive industry in that it’s almost entirely digital. Everything can be done online, from practising to competing, to scouting new players, to cultivating an incredibly large audience. That doesn’t mean there’s no significance in physical locations, however. Prominent and respected leagues and tournaments take place in the same location and countries have their own unique involvement in esports.
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and training facilities are housed in the City of Angels. If you were to head there, you’d find the likes of Cloud9, Team SoloMid, Immortals, FaZe Clan, 100 Thieves, Counter Logic Gaming, FlyQuest, NRG Esports, and Echo Fox. Team Liquid’s Alienware Training Facility - which is described as “state-of-the-art” and quite ground-breaking for esports can also be found there. The Overwatch League was the first large-scale, geolocated tournament that
Los Angeles has cemented itself as a hotspot for the esports industry as it has grown over the past 20 years. From game developers being located there to organisations setting up shop in the sunny City, to competitions heading there; plenty is going on. If you believe projections - or simply have observed its growth over the years - it’s clear that esports is poised to be a huge industry, and Los Angeles has pitted itself as a prominent location. The city has been the home of many entrepreneurs, start-ups, and successful enterprises for many, many years, so this makes complete sense. So, which companies and organisations are responsible for such a reputation in this industry? Well, there are a whole host of esports organisations whose headquarters Photo by: Blizzard Entertainment photographer
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requires competitors to buy a franchise spot. This meant esports organisations, investors, and figures from traditional sports bought a position in the league and made a particular city its own. Los Angeles, out of all 20 franchises, is the only city to house two brands. Immortals own the Los Angeles Valiant, and Stan and Josh Kroenke own the Los Angeles Gladiators, which is operated by Sentinels.
