The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world in a variety of ways. One of the more interesting ones has been the development of malls. Malls have been in decline in the United States for a while now, with the pandemic becoming perhaps the final nail in the coffin. Like Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings series, they appear to be coming back in a different form.
Esports is an industry that is ever-increasing in size and popularity. With these large, mostly abandoned outposts in the form of malls (and their parking lots) becoming available, people have seen the potential for a new process. Horizon Group Properties and the esports analytics company Harena Data have partnered together to launch drive-in esports arenas in multiple US cities.
The cities that will receive these venues are Louisville, Kentucky; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; El Paso, Texas; and Laredo, Texas. These facilities will reportedly include attendees’ ability to remain in their vehicles while participating in competitive esports events. If they want to watch the event, that is also an option.
It seems like a strange combination to pop up in this pandemic, as both malls and drive-in theatres have long been considered relics of the past. Yet, they are now being combined with a current and future in esports to create physical locations that people can go to interact with other fans and participate in these events.
Whether or not these venues will succeed is yet to be seen. Once COVID vaccines become widespread and the virus becomes less prevalent in daily life, it shall certainly be interesting to see if these drive-ins will continue to garner interest or if they will meet the fate of their predecessors.
WRITTEN BY
Social Chats
Social Chats is a multimedia and entertainment company. It’s a division of kNOw Aging, inc. a communications consultancy.
Related Posts
