‘We’re becoming the No.1 destination for esports’ says Copper Box Arena operator as ALGS returns to London

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Copper Box Arena operator and charitable enterprise, Better, says London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is ‘fast-becoming the number one destination for esports in the UK’.

The arena has welcomed back Apex Legends this weekend from July 13th to 16th 2023, for the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs, following the Split 1 Playoffs won by TSM.

The arena has already hosted major esports tournaments featuring other popular games such as League of Legends, Gran Turismo and Call of Duty, drawing in avid esports fans from all over the world.

The innovation campus, Here East, on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, is now home to an esports community, and a hub of esports education with courses at Staffordshire University London at Here East and College of Esports at Lee Valley VeloPark.

This time around, ALGS competition is heading to the main stage, meaning fans can watch all teams’ matches throughout the four-day tournament.

There will also be more interactive fan experiences to the Copper Box concourse, including meet and greets, giveaways and more.

Esports Engine and EA, the two promotion teams have partnered up to bring 40 of the top Apex Legends teams from around the world competing in the Group Stage. During this stage, the teams will be divided into four groups, each comprising ten teams. They will engage in a thrilling six-match series against every other group.

The intensity ramps up as the Bracket Stage commences on Saturday. The teams will be ranked and placed into a double-elimination bracket based on their performance in the Group Stage.

The top 20 teams will progress to the anticipated Match Point Finals on Sunday, July 16th.

Better said in a press release that ‘the 7,500 seater arena’s flexibility enables it to accommodate the diverse event set-ups different esports events require from a full auditorium, to accommodating event and expo combined, from end stage to centre stage to projection onto the field of play itself’.

‘We’re proud to be leading the growing industry of esports and gaming’ – Here East CEO on the area and the Copper Box Arena

Gavin Poole, CEO of Here East, said: “We are delighted to see Here East at the forefront of the esports scene – driving innovation and fostering new talent in our community of leaders and visionaries. We are proud to be leading the growing industry of esports and gaming, future-proofing both our economy and our reputation as a global leader in tech.”

Lyn Garner, Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: “The Copper Box Arena has established itself as the capital’s prime esports venue. The esports cluster evolving here on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park drives huge opportunities for learning and jobs and makes a major contribution to the economy.”

There’s more info on venue hire at the Copper Box Arena here.

The Copper Box Arena operator also re-sent some quotes from the Mayor of London and others about ALGS returning to the venue.

These were first published during MSI 2023 back in May, which you can read below.

Related article: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park now ‘a global leader in esports’ says Mayor of London as MSI 2023 final weekend gets underway

Dom Sacco

Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.

As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.