Partnership between largest Texas esports group and global operator will rapidly expand venues for amateur and competitive gaming across North Texas
Dallas-based Envy Gaming, the largest esports organization in Texas, announced today plans to bring multiple dedicated venues to the region to make social and competitive gaming more accessible to the North Texas community. Through a partnership with Belong Gaming Arenas, which operates a network of gaming arenas in the United Kingdom, Envy and Belong Gaming will design, build and operate a cobranded flagship gaming center and multiple smaller gaming centers in key North Texas cities.
Belong operates physical gaming centers that host esports tournaments as well as leisure gaming for the local community. Each location provides gaming PCs and consoles where customers can play games in a shared social setting or reserve space for private events. A flagship Belong location can host as many as 100 concurrent players onsite. Belong leverages proprietary software and esports solution provider, Esports Engine, to encourage cross-location competitions, where members or teams formed by a specific gaming center compete in regional, national or international tournaments with gamers from other areas.
“Envy and Belong share a passion for creating experiences where fans of gaming and those playing games, whether for fun or at the competitive level, can come together and celebrate their interests in a safe, welcoming environment,” said Adam Rymer, CEO at Envy Gaming. “Partnering with a trusted global leader to develop physical spaces that provide comfort and create community in the North Texas gaming scene is an important focus for us at Envy.”
Initial plans include development of at least one cobranded gaming center at the scale of the largest developed to-date by Belong, which could accommodate 100 gaming stations and spectator or fan events of a similar capacity. Additional smaller centers in North Texas, designed for their respective community or neighborhood location will follow in the future.
Envy Gaming and Belong intend to open the centers to all ages, with players or visitors under the age of 12 requiring an accompanying adult. The locations will feature exclusive tournaments, league play, appearances from Envy’s professional esports teams including the Dallas Empire, Dallas Fuel and Team Envy, as well as retail and educational programs. North Texas is one of the initial U.S. markets in which Belong Gaming is adding physical locations.
Belong Gaming Arenas is owned by Vindex, a leading global esports infrastructure provider, based in New York. Vindex’s proprietary software, which includes a consumer app that will allow gamers to meet, team up with and compete against other gamers within their own community and throughout the Belong global network, will power each gaming center.
“This will bring the professional esports experience to casual and amateur players in their hometowns across the country and around the world, connecting more players everywhere at a time when communities truly need to be closer together,” said Mike Sepso, CEO of Vindex.
Disgaea 4 Complete+ is coming to PC!
