Spotlight on the popularity of esport with gamers across the capital
This recent phenomenon fills cinemas, sometimes even entire stadiums, and brings together millions of fans and players around the world. Esport players compete on computers, and since the discipline’s emergence with the first networked games in the 1990s, the players taking part in the top competitions (leagues) are professionals.
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Playing or watching esport in Paris has become child's play. The enthusiasm for the discipline goes hand in hand with places where enthusiasts meet up to play and talk. Meltdown Paris (11th) is one of the most popular spots. This e-bar franchise founded in 2012 is already a big name in other cities such as Barcelona, Brussels, London and Montreal. Its concept: a place where you can play a match, have a drink with your favourite streamer, earn some prestige within the Meltdown community by taking part in inter-bar tournaments, just go along as a simple (TV) spectator, or participate in themed evenings. A great atmosphere guaranteed!
Over at the e-sport Stadium (Paris 2nd), leisure and competition are combined in a range of games that are as wide-ranging as the opponents available. What’s more, there is the possibility of privately hiring one of the rooms at the e-sport Stadium to enjoy optimal playing conditions with a group of friends. In the 1st arrondissement of Paris, on the rue de Rivoli, ESpot Paris offers a 2,000 m² space for gaming enthusiasts. Immersion guaranteed from the moment you enter. Formerly a cyber cafe, the Milk Asus e-sport arena (Paris 4th) now provides 600 m² and 130 gaming stations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Here too, experts in some of the most popular games such as World of Warcraft, Fortnite and Overwatch can indulge their passion and book a bootcamp to train and prepare for tournaments, either alone or in teams.
In the 19th arrondissement, the e-LAB, located on the second floor of the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie offers opportunities to play but also to reflect on the gaming phenomenon. With this in mind, the e-LAB seeks to be a veritable laboratory for reflecting on and analysing the virtual landscape, welcoming schoolchildren, accompanied by their teachers, parents and any other interested public. A good opportunity to gain a better understanding of the extent of video games in entertainment today. And finally, worth mentioning is GateOne Paris, a 6,000 m² complex entirely dedicated to esport on the outskirts of the city (at Ivry-sur-Seine). You can attend team training sessions, be coached or take part in numerous tournaments.
From 17 to 27 October 2024, Paris will be hosting the quarter-finals and semi-finals of League of Legends, a strategy game published by Riot Games in which the five players on a team attempt to destroy their opponent's arena (known as the ‘Nexus’) by using finely tuned combinations and moves. And fans who can't make it to the adidas arena to join in the fun can rest assured: they can still follow the event from their screens, via dedicated channels on Youtube or Twitch. It's all up to you!
