Riot opens free pop-up esports pub in London

Riot Games will operate The Phoenix Arms, a temporary, free-entry esports pub at Hackney Bridge in East London from June 19-21. The activation runs alongside the VALORANT Masters London finals and offers a gathering place for fans who could not get tickets to the sold-out Copper Box Arena.

The venue will recreate a traditional British matchday pub atmosphere with team flags, themed memorabilia and live screenings of VALORANT Champions Tour finals matches.

The Phoenix Arms will serve as the centrepiece of a wider Fan Fest at Hackney Bridge, which will include live podcasts, creator appearances and an open-air watch party in addition to the indoor pub area.

Riot is operating the site independently and confirmed there will be no on-site sponsor activations. Entry to the pub is free.

The pop-up coincides with several major events on the sporting and esports calendars, including Wimbledon, the British Grand Prix and the Counter-Strike 2 IEM Cologne Major. Global Esports Industry Week runs June 18-21.

London already hosts permanent gaming venues, such as XP Tavern, that act as meeting points for community events and match viewing. Riot’s temporary pub follows a wider pattern of publishers and event organisers creating physical spaces for fans to watch matches and attend related programming.

The Phoenix Arms will be open to the public across the three days, with additional Fan Fest programming scheduled across the Hackney Bridge site. Riot has not announced any commercial partners for the activation.