There are many reasons why metro Atlanta is now widely recognized as the esports capital of the U.S. These include the fact that the region is home to more than 150 game development studios (including Alpharetta-based Hi-Rez Studios), multiple professional esports teams, 21 colleges offering game development-related degrees, and the host for numerous global gaming and esports events. (www.AtlantaEsportsAlliance.com).
Earlier this month, the Brawlhalla World Championships took place in ATL, and tomorrow, the Esports Summit begins, hosted at Skillshot in ATL. The global DreamHack festival, which attracted more than 35,000 attendees when it was last held in ATL in 2019, also returns this weekend, offering gamers and creators esports tournaments, BYOC LAN, a tech expo, Cosplay, a creator hub, and panel discussions.
According to Statista.com, there are now 188.9 million video gamers in the US, alone, the majority of whom are in the 18-34-year-old age bracket, an age bracket coveted by marketers.
While the Los Angeles Tribune, in a July 31, 2021 editorial, once referred to esports as “the billion dollar industry we didn’t know existed,” the blockbuster esports events in ATL this month, and their event sponsors, demonstrate our region’s keen awareness of, and enthusiasm for, the billion dollar esports industry.
