The owners of the iconic Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd in Los Angeles have announced plans to open an eSports arena.
The eSports arena will open later this year and will be a part of the Chinese 6 Theatre complex, which is adjacent to the main theatre. It will also be used as a MX4D Motion EFX movie theatre when there is no eSports events going on.
The venue will be kitted out with seats programmed to move in sync with the movie action along with air/water blasts, leg/neck ticklers, fog, seat/back pokers, seat rumblers, and other special effects, although chances are these won’t be used during eSports events as you don’t want a ton of water spraying around an arena with thousands of dollars of streaming tech.
“What we are launching is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Robert K. Laity, CEO of the TCL Chinese Theatre. “We see cinema operators working together as a global network of immersive MX4D esports theaters and becoming part of the fabric of competitive gaming. We are in discussions with sponsors, esports organizations and other cinema operators to join forces with the TCL Chinese Theatre as we bring this exciting capability to the world of online and live tournament play.”