Allied Esports selects HOK to design retail esports venues

Esports entertainment company Allied Esports has chosen architecture and engineering firm HOK to design its retail esports venues.

Allied Esports and HOK are working together with a view of opening the first venue in the Mall of Georgia later this year.

RELATED: Allied Esports to receive $5M investment from Brookfield Property Partners

HOK has experience in traditional sports and entertainment, recently working on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena in Atlanta, though it has operated in esports in recent times too.

Jud Hannigan, CEO of Allied Esports, discussed the decision in a release: “With our first-of-its-kind on-mall esports venue initiative, we had the opportunity to meet with the best in the design business, and we were impressed from the start by HOK’s experience, resources and overall enthusiasm for this project. We are thrilled to be able to unveil this design to gamers in the Southeast as we continue to develop infrastructure and experiences for our growing network.”

RELATED: Allied Esports and Simon to open esports venue in Mall of Georgia

Allied Esports announced that it was set to receive a $5 million (£3.84 million) investment from real estate company Brookfield Property Partners earlier this month. The investment would be used to assist the company in opening esports venues in retail destinations, building upon its plans with Simon Property Group.

Rashed Singaby, Senior Designer at HOK, commented on the deal: “We’re excited for the opportunity to bring Allied Esports’ vision for this unprecedented concept to life. Allied Esports has been at the forefront of innovation in the industry, and this partnership will help define the future of the esports experience for competitors and spectators.”

Esports Insider says: This is a huge step in making these retail esports venues come to life for Allied Esports, Simon Property Group, and Brookfield Property Partners. The jury is out on whether they will be a huge draw or if it’s simply too soon for esports to be introduced to the mainstream in such a casual way, but we won’t have to wait too long to find out.

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