A mall in Buford, Georgia, the Mall of Georgia, will become the first location for Allied Esports’ dedicated esports venue as part of a previously announced partnership between the esports company and Simon, a shopping and entertainment destination operator.

The gaming destination will be set in The Village, a two-level, 13,000-square-foot facility and will support gaming equipment for players and community members of all levels.

As part of the Allied Esports Property Network, the venue will feature regular amateur and professional esports tournaments and events across a wide variety of games.

The facility will also have state-of-the-art broadcast and streaming production capabilities, so that it can be used for major league esports tournaments. The rest of the time, however, it will also have PCs and consoles for regular use and a full food and beverage concessions for the players.

“We’ve long felt that the gaming and esports communities in the Southeast, especially the greater Atlanta metropolitan area, are vibrant and growing and believe we have a location at Mall of Georgia that will serve as a dynamic hub for esports experiences in the region,” said Jud Hannigan, chief executive of Allied Esports. “We’re excited to launch this first-of-its-kind on-mall venue and continue to develop and expand on this new concept for additional Simon destinations.”

The Mall of Georgia is the largest shopping destination in the Southeast and features more than 200 shops. These stores include specialty stores such as Sephora, Altar’d Stat, Pandora, and American Eagle. Department stores such as Macy’s, Dillard’s, and JCPenny are also available.

“Allied Esports’ new esports facility is a perfect complement to the mix of shopping, dining and entertainment options at Mall of Georgia,” said Mall General Manager John DiCioccio. “Our guests enjoy experiential offerings, and this new concept is certain to become a fast favorite among those who visit the center.”

Allied Esports and Simon announced their partnership in June 2019. During which the two companies revealed their intentions to open dedicated venues at Simon operated centers and malls around the country to create a national amateur esports tournament, the Simon Cup, featuring online competitive and in-person events.

According to a report from market analyst Newzoo, esports grew to generate revenues that exceeded $1.1 billion in 2019 and is on a trajectory to reach $1.8 billion by 2022. Much of that revenue comes from brand investments in esports, some of which goes to established venues for hosting and advertising brands during events and through broadcast rights.

Photo: Allied Esports