The brand new Belong Esports Arena near Polaris Fashion Place aims to become a premier destination for local video game players.
Driving the news: The arena held its grand opening on Friday and offered free play to customers over the weekend.
Why is this important: Esport, or competitive video games, is a booming industry that is particularly popular among young players.
How it works: Belong offers a chance to play in a professional environment, with 72 high-speed gaming stations with high-tech peripherals.
- Players can compete against each other or through online play.
Inventory: The company operates 27 esports arenas in the UK. Columbus marks its third location in the United States, with hundreds more planned in the coming years.
- Each has their own unique team name and their own original brand – we are the Polaris pilots, a reference to Ohio aviation history.
- The teams representing each arena will eventually participate in leagues organized by Belong and other major tournaments.
What they say : Belong hopes to attract players for both the sense of community and the games, says Bob Morris, manager of the company’s arena opening.
- Casual gamers looking for a cooler gaming environment than what they have at home can pay by the hour, with monthly subscriptions available for more serious gamers.
The plot: There will be a “path to the pro” system for pilots to gain experience and one day compete as a top player, Morris says.
- Gambling can be a lucrative career for elite players with many social media followers vying for big prize pools.
during this time, the site includes a retail section with Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft games and consoles, as well as Pilots products for sale.
- Belong touts its private party rooms and unique retail experience of trying out games in the arena before you buy them.
The big picture: Columbus is a “hotspot” for esports, Morris said, noting championship events held at the Nationwide Arena and the Convention Center in recent years.
Go further: After discovering the arena and taking a tour, the only thing left for Axios to do was try out a playstation.
Tyler here. I’m a little more old-school in my video game tastes, but I had to take advantage of being one of the very first Polaris pilots.
- Jose Gloria, arena manager for the Belong location in Dallas, was on hand for the grand opening and showed me the offers.
How it works: Each PC station comes with a range of popular games including Call of Duty, Fortnite, Magic the Gathering, Minecraft, and World of Warcraft.
- An impressive slate, but I don’t know how to play any of them. (Think Jim from The Office trying to play Call of Duty at work.)
What i played: Fall Guys, a lighter title compared to some of the other shooting games.
- You play as one of the 60 big little characters who run to the end of an obstacle course sequence.
- The goal is to be the last player standing.
How i did: I passed the easy stages and ended up in the final with 10 other players from around the world later.
- Would I take an Axios victory over Jose and kick off the Drivers’ world domination?
- I passed very close with a second place. Not bad!
Quick setting: The sophisticated gaming chair and the ergonomic mouse… I can see why people would love this place. I come back soon.
If you are going to: Belong Esports Arena is open seven days a week at 8735 Lyra Drive, Columbus.
- Playground rentals start at $ 2.50; day passes start at $ 17.50.
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