Blizzard Entertainment will open its own dedicated arena space in Los Angeles this October. The venue, called Blizzard Arena Los Angeles, will be home to upcoming esports events for Blizzard games Overwatch, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm and World of Warcraft.
“We’re at a tipping point for esports and we look forward to helping usher in a new era of competition-based entertainment,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment, in a release. “As we open the doors of Blizzard Arena Los Angeles and welcome fans from around the world, we’re honored to bring the best in Blizzard esports to the same stage that some of the biggest names in entertainment have called home.”
Blizzard Arena Los Angeles will officially open Oct. 7, with the Overwatch Contenders Season One Playoffs. That event will be followed by the Hearthstone Championship Tour’s Summer Championship on Oct. 13, followed by the Heroes of the Storm Global Championship Finals and World of Warcraft Arena Championship.
The new arena will be located in Burbank, California at Burbank Studios. Blizzard said it will also open a retail store at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles with rotating stock based on the competitions taking place at the time.
Blizzard will still hold some of its esports championship matches at BlizzCon, the company’s annual convention in Anaheim, California.