Now you can play Overwatch in style.
Tonight, a new esports lounge is set to open inside Newport on the Levee's GameWorks. Newport's mayor will come out for the lounge's unveiling — and partake in an esports game with GameWorks employees.
The lounge features 20 Alienware Gaming PCs with 240 Hz Alienware monitors and RTX 2070 graphics cards; new Cougar Armor Titan chairs and Alienware mechanical keyboards, gaming mice and headsets. Plus, guests will have over 100 gaming titles to choose from on multiple consoles, including about 15 PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Wii U.
The press release also stated that many of the tournaments will be streamed live on platforms like Twitch.
Three other GameWorks locations have (or will) make the change early this year, including venues in Chesapeake, Virginia; Schaumburg, Illinois; and in Minneapolis' Mall of America. Spots in Las Vegas, Denver and Seattle already have the set-up.
Esports, aka electronic sports, take the form of multi-player video game competitions and the following behind the phenomenon is growing — the University of Cincinnati, Miami University and Northern Kentucky University all have active, robust and growing esports teams. In the GameWorks lounge, people can play casually with pals or competitively via any of the estimated 200 tournaments held at various locations each month.
This will mark the first official gaming lounge to open in the Greater Cincinnati area.
Philip N. Kaplan, the CEO of GameWorks, says in the release that the new esports lounges mark them as a leader in competitive online gaming and entertainment. He adds that they are "evolving right alongside this exciting new world of esports. And by partnering with best-of-breed esports industry constituents — publishers, players and leagues — we’re bringing players and spectators exactly what they want."
The lounges can hold up to 100 guests and are equipped with multiple "personal play stations." Hungry? You can pick up food and drinks at GameWorks' on-site restaurant — which serves grub like burgers, sandwiches and various appetizers — and get it delivered right to your seat.
More info: GameWorks.com.
