Blizzard eSports Stadium Opens in Taipei
Some of the most popular eSports titles have their origins tied to Blizzard at one point, "DOTA 2" and "Starcraft" among them. As the eSports scene grew, the company gradually started renting arenas for tournament events. Now, the company has officially opened its first permanent eSports arena facility in Taipei called the Blizzard eStadium.
The new eSports facility is named the Blizzard eStadium and has a seating capacity of about 250 fans, according to the write-up by Engadget. Aside from the arena, the facility will also have a snack bar and a memorabilia shop, and is definitely a step up from the usual floor space that Blizzard has to rent whenever it holds its BlizzCon annual event.
Blizzard will be using the new Blizzard eStadium to host everything from local high-profile matches to huge international tournaments hosting to participants from the Asia-Pacific region. The first event that will be held in the brand-new facility will take place on April 8, Saturday. On its opening weekend, the Blizzard eStadium will play host to the "Overwatch Pacific Championship," an "Overwatch" competition league that the company runs from its base in Taipei.
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In this event, eight teams from Taiwan, Japan, Australia and Thailand will be battling for about 11 weeks, until the top three fight it out in the playoffs to have the winner join the annual "Overwatch World Cup."
The stadium has its similarities to the earlier Gfinity arena in London, according to eSports Pro. The "Overwatch Pacific Championship" is just a start, however, the venue is also planned to host other games such as "Hearthstone," "Starcraft 2" and other games from a selection of Blizzard titles.
Watch the promo video of the opening of the Blizzard eStadium in Taipei below.
