Photos from February eSports tournament at Atlantis.
There’s no question that eSports’ popularity has skyrocketed over the last few years. In fact, its growth is up 30 percent year over year with nearly 148 million people tuning in - a number estimated to reach 215 million by 2019. In order to meet that demand in northern Nevada, Atlantis Casino Resort Spa announces that in cooperation with the Reno Smash Community, it’s the first resort in the region to offer monthly eSports tournaments.
In its basic definition, eSports is a multiplayer video game played competitively either as individuals or teams. The most common video game genres associated with eSports are real-time strategy, fighting, first-person shooter, and multiplayer online battle arenas. Some of the tournaments that are offered include live broadcasts of the competition and prize money to the players, sometimes amounting to millions of dollars a year.
Tournaments at Atlantis are offered in the Family Fun Center, which has been expanded to allow for ample space to accommodate more players. Attendance for the first tournament, Super Smash Brothers, tripled anticipated turnout, signaling a large demand for eSports in northern Nevada. The next tournament will be on Saturday, March 25 from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m.
