As part of new partnership, Helix eSports will become the Official Gaming Center of the Boston Uprising
Helix eSports complex will feature over 100 gaming stations for everyday social and competitive play
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Kraft Sports + Entertainment, Patriot Place and Helix eSports today announced the opening of an 18,000 square-foot esports complex that will feature the Boston Uprising practice facility and a Helix eSports gaming center. The Boston Uprising, New England’s professional Overwatch franchise, also announced a new partnership with Helix eSports, making Helix the Official Gaming Center of the Boston Uprising.
Patriot Place and the Boston Uprising will partner with Helix eSports, the owner and operator of the largest gaming center in the United States, to open the first gaming center adjacent to a major professional sporting venue. This partnership will build on the growth of competitive esports to provide fans across New England with a gaming-centric social and competitive hub alongside a professional Overwatch League team.
The new complex will feature over 100 gaming stations complete with PCs, top-tier gaming and network infrastructure and over 30 consoles open to the public daily for social, school, competitive and casual gameplay. Helix has also partnered with SaberVR to offer patrons immersive virtual reality games and experiences spanning hundreds of game titles and genres. Educational programs will also be available onsite to enable the next generation of virtual reality architects and developers.
The center will occupy the former Showcase Live venue located next to the Showcase Cinema de Lux and is slated to open in January 2020, in conjunction with the start of the Boston Uprising’s season as the team prepares for its first year playing from its home market. During the 2020 Overwatch League season, the Uprising will host two homestand weekends at a Boston venue that will be announced in the near future.
“With the Uprising’s move to Boston, we wanted to provide the team with a first-class practice facility and give our fans unprecedented access to their home team,” said Jen Ferron, Chief Marketing Officer for Kraft Sports + Entertainment. “This new partnership with Helix eSports will accomplish both of these goals by providing our fans with access to our team and players through onsite events and appearances, while allowing the Uprising to practice from a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Patriot Place.”
This new gaming center will create a unique experience for Uprising fans by allowing them to socialize and compete in a facility that lies directly next to where the professional team will practice. The Helix eSports center will welcome gamers of all skills and interest levels seven days a week.
“At Patriot Place, we always strive to provide our patrons with new and exciting offerings,” said Brian Earley, vice president and general manager of Patriot Place. “Esports is a rapidly growing enterprise and we are thrilled to announce this partnership with Helix eSports to bring this one-of-a-kind facility to Patriot Place for gamers across New England.”
Helix eSports will establish Patriot Place as the go-to esports destination in New England by providing a world-class venue for events. The center will offer full entertainment packages including food, beverage and private rooms, giving the complex the ability to serve as a venue for esports events and exclusive esports competitions. These competitions will partner with the Uprising, ggCircuit, Super League Gaming, Team Genji, game publishers and third party event organizers to feature a variety of esports tournaments offering cash prizes, exciting experiences and entrance to higher-tier competitions.
Finally, the new complex will have an emphasis on reaching students by offering school and recreational leagues as well as STEM, esports and Vocational Education opportunities. Helix will offer a wide array of educational programs, camps and workshops for students in middle school and high school, as well as a curriculum for esports industry certification.
“Helix eSports could not be more excited to announce our new gaming center at Patriot Place and our partnership with the Boston Uprising,” said Murphy Vandervelde, CEO of Helix eSports. “We believe that physical gaming centers will accelerate the proliferation of esports competition for gamers from all walks of life. Our mission at Helix eSports is to build the infrastructure beneath the professional scene to create a more transparent path to a career in esports and related industries. By providing a center with uniform, high-end gaming equipment, we can level the playing field from a gear and infrastructure perspective, providing greater access to esports for everyone.”
ABOUT THE BOSTON UPRISING
The Boston Uprising is owned and operated by Kraft Group Overwatch. Under the direction of Robert and Jonathan Kraft, the Uprising is one of 20 professional esports franchises competing in Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch League. To keep up with the team’s latest news and updates, visit http://www.bostonuprising.com or follow us on social @BostonUprising.
ABOUT HELIX eSPORTS
Helix eSports owns and operates the premier esports centers and social hubs for all gamers in the United States. Helix eSports reimagines the concept of traditional LAN centers by democratizing the experience with our friendly and expert level staff, top of the line gaming infrastructure and one-of-a-kind esports events and competitions. Our centers are designed by industry experts to give a professional esports experience to everyone, from the competitive player to the social gamer. Whether one wants to play, practice and socialize with friends or compete at the highest level, our knowledgeable staff, multi/private room layouts, food and beverage offerings and wide array of platforms & games allows for the best esports experience for everyone. Helix eSports can be found on social @HelixeSportsUSA and the new Patriot Place facility can be found @HelixeSportsFX.
ABOUT PATRIOT PLACE
Patriot Place is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination located adjacent to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Patriot Place features large and boutique retailers, 17 casual to high-end restaurants and other nightlife venues. Among the highlights of Patriot Place are New England’s first Bass Pro Shops, a state-of-the-art, 14-screen Showcase Cinema De Lux, the award-winning Patriots Hall of Fame presented by Raytheon, the retro-style bowling alley, Splitsville Luxury Lanes, the modern gastro sports pub, CBS Sporting Club, the four-star Renaissance Boston Patriot Place Hotel and the Hilton Garden Inn Foxborough/Patriot Place. For more information, visit www.patriot-place.com, follow Patriot Place on Twitter (twitter.com/patriotplace) or like Patriot Place on Facebook (facebook.com/patriotplace).
