Over the past decade esports has come a long way, from basement LAN parties, to packed out stadium events with millions on the line. There are plenty of events throughout the world that cater for the huge audiences and the games they love. The Overwatch league in it’s second season is seeing great success, and much loved ip’s like Call of Duty and Halo have had steady followings over the years, with pro gamers dedicated to their games since release. Over and above competition though, esports brings people from all backgrounds together to celebrate one thing, gaming. When we all come together to watch a team battling to push that payload or get that chicken dinner, watching the seconds tick away, we build social bonds that can last a life time.
The issue in the UK for esports is that there are too few venues for competitive gamers to relax and compete. some towns have their Belong Gaming arenas by Game but other than that, grassroots esports is non-existent. Luckily for Suffolk,Caffeine Gaming have launched the UK’s Largest Esports Lounge!
The Caffeine Lounge
The lounge has been in the making since July 2018 and its aim is to become a hot new socialising hub for the people in Sudbury and surrounding areas that caters to as many as possible. The esports side will have everything to cater for gamers looking for their daily fix of competition and the lounge side will cater to all wanting to relax and socialise, there is even a long bar with Prosecco on tap. What more do you need?
When asked about the lounge the founder, William Ward said: ‘We’ve created an awesome bar and lounge where people can come and hang out with their friends, or hit the gaming area for some immersive action’. Caffeine Gaming have stated on the website that they can cater to esports teams looking for a place to train as well as looking to create their own team to compete. It sounds like the Caffeine Gaming brand is looking to make a big splash into the esports scene.
The lounge will be the new home of the Caffeine Gaming Show but as stated on the website, will also be running events every Saturday from open to close. There will be a big range of esports tournaments as well as industry key note speakers and workshops. The idea behind this is fantastic, not only can you go and compete with your friends, have a drink and relax but you’ll also have the chance to learn and even take a step forward in your career. Want to become a content creator? Or a caster? There will be an event for you too. The Lounge literally has it all!
Computer Specs
So the question most people will have is what specs are the pc’s going to have. Well Will has been kind enough to put the specs on the website as well, the lounge will benefit from enough top of the market technology that the PC Master Race will feel truly at ease. There will be 50 PlayStation 4’s and 50 high end gaming PC’s to start off with plans to bring in Xbox One’s as well. There are two booths dedicated for streaming and casting along with a live studio for chat shows. On top of this there will also be event space for any brand to launch their new products and show off the power of their gear.
The specs of the gaming PC’s are:
i7 9700k
RTX 2080
Z370 Motherboard
16GB DDR4 30000MHz
1TB M.2
144Hz Monitor 1ms 1440p
And that’s just at launch. This lounge literally has everything anyone could need for a gaming location, whether you’re a streamer, a caster, a semi-pro gamer or even someone who just likes to drink and mingle then this is the place to be.
I really like the look of this, I think it’s another great step forward for esports within the UK and especially at the grassroots level. I can see the potential this initiative has and Will has really made a fantastic effort to make this the largest esports bar that caters to all who come. To find out more you can visit the website, or follow on social media via Twitter and Instagram.
