Las Vegas Strip To Play Host To A New Series Of Monthly Esports Tournaments
Published: Oct 13, 2016 - Last Updated: Jan 17, 2023
It’s the mutual work of the esports gaming platform FACEIT and the gaming and media company Ultimate Media Ventures. The event will feature a new game each month with a $25,000 prize pool.
Dota 2 to be the first game of the event
The tournament series will launch with the very popular Dota 2. Starting this month, teams can sign up for the event. They will be assigned to brackets, a task that will be carried out by FACEIT.
After the online qualifiers are over, the four best performing teams will head to the SLS Las Vegas Hotel and Casino’s The Foundry for the grand finals on Oct. 16.
“We are not creating a new league with Battle on the Strip, but a community-first event by fans of esports for fans of esports,” said UMV CEO Jon Bukosky.
“UMV is all about lifestyle and creating a premium experience for gamers, both amateur and pro alike. The SLS Las Vegas is an international entertainment destination, and we’re bringing Battle on the Strip there for a premier experience aspirational esports competitors can enjoy.”
Additionally, the SLS Las Vegas Hotel and Casino is welcoming esports fans with special rates for its Las Vegas esports experience.
Rooms will supposedly include items from BenQ, HyperX, LootCrate, and Quest Nutrition. Each room also comes with VIP seats to the Battle on the Strip finals, as well as an exclusive access to the player lounge, pool party, and a brunch.
Las Vegas becoming prime destination for esports
It’s not the first time a major esports event has popped up in Las Vegas. The possibility of the city becoming a top destination for esports has been discussed in the past.
Also, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas recently launched an esports lab aimed at research and development. This will certainly attract more esports enthusiasts to the area.
Above all, the incredible potential for esports gambling, an industry that has recently been gaining a lot of attention, is something of which the vibrant city could take great advantage in the future.
Some activity has already been seen in this area, and big players in the esports gambling market are making moves to see Las Vegas and kindred cities as prime place for esports.
More fans, more potential
The timing of Battle on the Strip is great. Not only has the esports industry grown into a massive market in the last couple of years, but the fan base has also expanded exponentially.
A recent report by Newzoo titled “Why sports and brands want to be in esports” shows how much the esports audience has grown.
According to the company, esports has caught up with MLB and NHL in a key demographic: male millennials. This age group, consisting of fans between 21 and 35 years of age, now watches esports as often as baseball or hockey.
Additionally, the report notes that of the 80 million American basketball fans, 9.6 million also watch esports. That’s an incredible amount considering it’s almost half of all the US esports fans, which number around 20 million according to Newzoo.
Battle on the Strip will bring together the esports community
The tournament series will feature both professional and amateur teams.
“For every pro team there’s probably 1,000 amateur teams,” Bukosky told colleagues at the Daily Dot Esports. “There was nobody really doing stuff for the community as a whole.”
UMV’s goal is to create something that will bring the esports community together, including cosplay competitions and LAN events in the ballrooms.
“There’s always going to be something for somebody,” Bukosky says, “even for brands, endemic and non-endemic.”
Image credit: Pabkov / Shutterstock.com
Since: September 12, 2015
