IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Allied Esports, a global esports entertainment company, and Simon, a global leader in premier shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations, today announced that Mall of Georgia in Buford, Ga., will be the location for the companies’ first dedicated esports venue as part of their previously announced strategic alliance.

The two-level, 13,000-square-foot facility, which will be located at The Village, will be a gaming and esports destination for players and community members of all levels. As part of the Allied Esports Property Network, the venue will feature regular amateur and professional esports tournaments and events across a variety of games and genres. The location, which will have full broadcast and streaming production capabilities, will also offer PCs and consoles for daily use, full food and beverage options, experiential retail, and more. The redevelopment of the current retail space is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2020, with an opening of the venue anticipated in the second half of the year.

Mall of Georgia, the largest shopping destination in the Southeast, features more than 200 shops, including; iconic brands Apple, Michael Kors and Coach; specialty stores Sephora, Altar’d State, Pandora, American Eagle, H&M and Palmetto Moon; and department stores Macy’s, Dillard’s, Von Maur, Belk, JCPenney and Dick’s Sporting Goods. The center is home to signature brand restaurants, including The Cheesecake Factory, Marlow’s Tavern, Tin Lizzy’s Cantina, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Seasons 52 and a 750-seat Dining Pavilion offering more than a dozen delicious food and beverage options. Shoppers can also enjoy the Regal Cinema 20 & IMAX, a 20-screen, 3-D IMAX theatre.

“We’ve long felt that the gaming and esports communities in the Southeast, especially the greater Atlanta metropolitan area, are vibrant and growing and believe we have a location at Mall of Georgia that will serve as a dynamic hub for esports experiences in the region,” said Jud Hannigan, CEO of Allied Esports. “We’re excited to launch this first-of-its-kind on-mall venue and continue to develop and expand on this new concept for additional Simon destinations.”

“Allied Esports’ new esports facility is a perfect complement to the mix of shopping, dining and entertainment options at Mall of Georgia,” said General Manager John DiCioccio. “Our guests enjoy experiential offerings, and this new concept is certain to become a fast favorite among those who visit the center.”

Allied Esports and Simon announced a strategic alliance in June 2019 in which the two companies unveiled intentions to open dedicated esports venues at Simon centers around the country and create a co-produced national amateur esports tournament – the Simon Cup – featuring online competition and in-person events at Simon destinations.

Following online play and regional finals at Roosevelt Field in Garden City, N.Y., and Ontario Mills, in Ontario, Calif., thousands of participants were narrowed down to a final group of 64 players who competed head-to-head in Fortnite at the inaugural Simon Cup Grand Final at HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas on Nov. 23, 2019. Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Daryl “Bugzvii” John, age 20, was crowned the first Simon Cup champion and won a $50,000 shopping spree at a Simon destination.

The new location at Mall of Georgia, as well as additional future locations at Simon properties around the country, will become key components of the Simon Cup moving forward. Allied Esports and Simon will announce plans for the 2020 edition of the Simon Cup in the near future.

About Allied Esports

Named to Fast Company’s 2019 World’s Most Innovative Companies list, Allied Esports is a leading esports entertainment company with a global network of dedicated esports properties designed to serve as competition battlegrounds, content production facilities and community hubs.

Through direct operation or membership via the Allied Esports Property Network, the world’s first esports venue affiliate program, Allied Esports’ properties span North America, Europe, China and Australia, and include the world-renowned HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas, its fleet of mobile arenas, the HyperX Esports Trucks, and the HyperX Esports Studio in Hamburg, Germany.

For more information about Allied Esports, visit AlliedEsports.gg and follow @AlliedEsports. Allied Esports is a subsidiary of Allied Esports Entertainment, Inc.

About Allied Esports Entertainment

Allied Esports Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AESE) is a global esports entertainment venture dedicated to providing transformative live experiences, multiplatform content and interactive services to audiences worldwide through its strategic fusion of two powerful entertainment brands: Allied Esports International, Inc. (Allied Esports) and the World Poker Tour (WPT). Allied Esports Entertainment, Inc. was created in August 2019 when Black Ridge Acquisition Corp. completed its business combination with Allied Esports and WPT Enterprises.

About Simon

Simon is a global leader in the ownership of premier shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations and an S&P 100 company (Simon Property Group, NYSE: SPG). Our properties across North America, Europe, and Asia provide community gathering places for millions of people every day and generate billions in annual sales. For more information, visit simon.com.

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