Walmart may be known for being one of the world’s largest retail chains, but now, you may be considering the superstore a lot more for you gaming needs. The company has decided to tap into another popular market: eSports.
Walmart and E-Sports
Walmart, through a partnership with Esports Arena, has opened eSports venues in select Walmart stores throughout the country. As of right now, these locations are in Colorado Springs, CO, Roseville, CA, and Spokane, WA, and with more expected to open in the near future.
If you live near one of these areas and want to jump in to the action, players can pay a $5 fee per hour to go head-to-head against others in games such as Fortnite and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and a $10 fee to play on league nights.
In addition, Esports Arena and Walmart have collaborated on a line of state-of-the-art PC’s called “Overpowered”. Overpowered PC’s are advertised as having all the necessary memory and speed capabilities for gamers. If you have an extra $1,000-$1,750 laying around for a new PC, it might be for you (if you can find one that’s not sold out).
It will be very interesting to see how this works out for Walmart, as big companies such as New Era and Mercedes-Benz have invested into eSports in recent years. Even food and beverage companies such as Coca-Cola and Mountain Dew have gotten into the action.
If Walmart is able to succeed with this, it’s very possible that other chains may follow suit in order to attract gamers to come to their stores and increase exposure. This could be a major boost for the both industries.
What other games would you like to see at these eSports arenas? Do you hope other chains follow Walmart in creating these venues? Let us know in the comments section below, or on our social media channels.
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