Gaming Company Creates Biggest US E-Sports Facility

Lifestyle brand and gaming firm 100 Thieves created the biggest headquarters for e-sports, or competitive and organized online gaming, in the United States. The facility, called 100 Thieves Cash App Compound, was named after its major sponsor Cash App—a mobile payment app created by financial services company Square, Inc. Jack Dorsey, the CEO and co-founder of both Square, Inc. and Twitter, joined a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new gaming center in January. In 2019, 100 Thieves raised $35 million from other sponsors to build the compound, which took about nine months to construct. The whole compound measures 15,000 square feet. It has designated rooms for various online games, such as survival combat game Fortnite and multiplayer battle game League of Legends. These rooms are equipped with expensive gaming chairs and computers. The building also has assigned spaces for content creators, video streamers, e-sport trainees, and even the company’s management. A basketball court and a TV lounge with some arcade games are also included in the facility. John Robinson, 100 Thieves’ president and chief operating officer, said the whole compound’s design fuses business with recreation. The 100 Thieves e-sports facility is not the first of its kind. Many e-sports teams have also created dedicated spaces for their players to train, collaborate with other players, and learn from their coaches. The growing e-sports industry has emerged from the stereotypical setup of being confined to people’s basements or spare bedrooms. According to Robinson, there is a long way to go before e-sports becomes mainstream and widely accepted. However, he is optimistic that the industry changes will continue to be valuable and impressive.