Esports Sees Return of Live Crowds, Shift in Venues

Invictus Gaming’s arena in China opened after six years of construction, drawing attention to older investment strategies in esports venue building. One investor described the project as “probably the ‘lowest return-on-investment project’ of his career.” The facility was conceived during the industry’s rapid growth phase and its completion follows a period of financial strain for some organisations with large venue commitments.

Some legacy teams that carried heavy stadium overheads experienced financial collapse while managing those assets. Industry observers have pointed to dedicated, single-use esports venues as costly: Sam Turkbas of EA Sports warned last year that “dedicated, single-use esports venues had evolved into major financial burdens.”

In London, a new Colosseum project is being planned as a sports-first, multipurpose arena with a basketball focus and the ability to stage esports events. The project is being developed with the NBA’s planned European league in mind and is intended to host a range of sports and entertainment uses rather than operate exclusively for gaming.

Smaller operators are expanding alongside larger venue projects. Friendly Fire has opened additional locations and EVA, a chain of virtual-reality arenas, raised about €35 million to support international expansion. Those operators focus on local, repeatable events and shorter-term venue commitments.

Publishers and tournament organisers are changing how they run live competition. Riot Games has indicated some rounds of the 2027 League of Legends EMEA Championship may be held online, while maintaining its Berlin studio for other activities. Organisers say alternating online and in-person stages allows them to test which events attract live audiences.

Recent live events produced large, vocal crowds. League of Legends European Championship roadshow stops in Spain and France drew energetic audiences. Karmine Corp’s arena in Évry-Courcouronnes regularly sells out for League of Legends and Rocket League events.

The VALORANT Champions Tour is shifting toward a touring format in 2027, planning events in multiple global locations instead of concentrating around fixed arenas. Event promoters and sponsors list multiple revenue streams from live competitions, including premium activations, hospitality packages and local sponsorship deals in addition to ticket sales.

Local governments and tourism organisations have changed their approach to esports. In 2025, Visit Raleigh and Associated Luxury Hotels International expanded partnerships to attract esports business. Rio de Janeiro operates a city department focused on bringing esports events to the city. Saudi Arabia continues to fund large-scale physical gaming events as part of broader entertainment investments.

After a period of layoffs and restructuring, some companies are cautiously restoring budgets for live events. Current project planning emphasizes venue flexibility and multiple revenue sources to limit long-term fixed costs. Organisers are testing different formats and locations to determine which live events deliver measurable revenue and audience engagement.