This weekend, tens of thousands of gamers will crowd the Georgia World Congress Center, many clad in esports jerseys and costumes, for DreamHack Atlanta.
Some of them are fighting for $1.1 million in prize money in esports competitions. Others are looking to network with gaming companies to land jobs or internships, introduce games they have developed or purely connect with enthusiasts of their favorite franchises.
DreamHack, which spans three days starting Friday, is one of the largest gaming and esports events held in Georgia every year, attracting both professional and amateur players of console, PC, virtual reality and tabletop games, along with developers, artists and other media personalities.
There are areas for attendees to connect their devices to a local-area network to play games together, manufacturers to showcase new hardware and independent game studios to showcase their titles. Many of the spoils associated with these types of conventions are also found at DreamHack, such as cosplay competitions, meet and greets with creators in the gaming world and performances. Shaboozey, whose song “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” entered its 12th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, is the headliner.
In essence, it’s the gaming version of a music festival, said Todd Harris, the president of Atlanta esports live event and production company Skillshot Media.
“Picture multiple stages. Some have major competitions going on, some are small with just a 6-foot table and everything in between. There’s definitely some sensory overload,” Harris said.
More than 40,000 attendees are anticipated for what will be DreamHack’s sixth year in Atlanta. Attendance has nearly doubled over the years as the festival has grown by word-of-mouth.
DreamHack is the final event in Games Week Georgia, a weeklong affair of business, networking and professional development events for the gaming industry.
2024 has been a watershed year for the global gaming and esports industries.
It was the inaugural year of the Esports World Cup, which broke the record for the largest combined prize pool in esports history —$60 million across 23 events. Plus, this summer, the International Olympic Committee, the governing body of the Olympic Games, unanimously approved the creation of an annual esports and competitive video gaming event. The IOC, which has been trying to involve itself with esports for several years, said the decision helps to keep up with the pace of the digital revolution.
Esports won’t be part of the Summer or Winter Olympic Games. Instead, it will be a competition of its own. The inaugural Olympic Esports Games will be held next year in Saudi Arabia, a country spending billions to position itself as a global hub for gaming. Questions still remain about the selection process, the games the athletes will compete in and whether esports federations will be involved, among others. But it’s a symbolic step forward in linking esports to traditional prestige sports.
But 2024 has also been earmarked by thousands of layoffs from top video game producers, including Riot Games, Microsoft Gaming and Sony Interactive Entertainment, and strikes from video game voice actors and motion capture performers over artificial intelligence. Hundreds of Activision employees unionized and created the largest video game union in North America and The Walt Disney Co. announced a $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games.
The Olympic Esports Games were a hot topic of conversation during Games Week Georgia, along with the growth of user-generated content on Roblox and Fortnite, the importance of live streamers and content creators in marketing games, growing competitive esports in schools and diversifying industry itself.
As the gaming industry evolves with advancements in technology, Harris sees an opportunity in holding events that help both consumers and businesses understand how games are made, marketed and discovered. DreamHack is the event that showcases all of these changes and advancements in motion.
“These shows keep growing because people keep coming back,” said Guy Blomberg, the event director for DreamHack’s North American division. “This is kind of their opportunity to make friends and meet people that are interested in the same things they are and fly the same freak flag that they do.”
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