Top esports teams like Complexity Gaming, Envy Gaming, and Infinite Esports have helped make Texas a new hotspot for competitive gaming in the US. Thanks to plenty of investment and enthusiasm from the state’s gaming community, the Lone Star State is now threatening to rival California as the focal point for America’s esports betting scene.
What’s in the Texas water?
Nowhere is this trend more evident than at the Esports Stadium Arlington, the largest esports-dedicated arena in North America. The former Arlington Convention Center was recently transformed in a $10 million makeover. It can now accommodate up to 2,500 gaming fans, who flock to see esports tournaments for some of the state’s biggest teams, such as the Dallas Fuel Overwatch organization.
Although much of the esports activity is focused in North Texas cities such as Dallas and Fort Worth, south and central locales are evolving. Just look at the Houston Outlaws Overwatch team or Evos Esports Arena in Austin.
So what exactly is going on in Texas? The fact that top esports teams like Envy Gaming, Complexity Gaming, and Infinite Esports were founded just miles apart has often been put down as mere coincidence. But is that the case?
Powerful investors
For one, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban quickly realized the true potential of esports early. He invested in the NBA2K team Mavs Gaming, as well as the Unikrn esports betting platform.
But Dallas oil magnate Kenneth Hersh went one step further by spending millions on Envy Gaming. Such a move was essential for helping Envy gather the reported $20 million necessary to buy into the hugely lucrative Overwatch League. As a result, Team Envy now competes in the Overwatch Contenders League. Plus, it acts as an academy team for Dallas Fuel, who managed to reach the quarterfinals in the Stage 2 Playoffs this year.
Not to be outdone, Infinite’s Optic Gaming received significant financial backing from the co-owners of the Texas Rangers baseball team. They then entered their own Houston Outlaws into the Overwatch League.
Frisco-based Complexity Gaming also benefitted from the financial muscle of Texas entrepreneurs. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and a real-estate investor John Goff put $35 million into the team. Now, Complexity enjoys a new training facility at Jerry Jones’ development complex.
All of these moves have helped Texas esports teams achieve a much higher profile in the world’s biggest gaming tournaments. Such visibility has assisted teams like Envy Gaming to pick up big sponsorship deals from the likes of Jack in the Box and Monster Energy.
For now anyway, everything really is bigger in Texas.
