The esports industry has grown rapidly in the past few years, and has certainly come a long way since its genesis many decades ago. In a previous post, we discussed the history of esports, from the students at Stanford University who organized a Spacewar! tournament, to the rise of streaming platforms like Twitch, which has helped significantly develop the esports industry.
By now, competitive esports titles like Overwatch, League of Legends, and popular battle royale games like Fortnite continue to draw the attention and viewership of millions of fans and gamers worldwide. Today, the esports industry has far outgrown its seeds in the Stanford University’s Spacewar! tournament decades ago.
In North America specifically, Texas has become a prominent presence on the global esports stage. From esports venues to dominant esports teams and video game-based venues, Texas may very well become North America’s esports and gaming hub in the near future. In this post, we’ll look at some of the prominent esports initiatives and developments in Texas in the past few years:
OpTic Texas
When you think of Texas and esports, one of the first things that may come to mind is OpTic Texas, formerly called Dallas Empire. The org has had a dominant presence in the Call of Duty esports scene for many years. Previously, OpTic Gaming, the team’s umbrella company, has had rosters for other esports titles, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Fortnite, Dota 2, League of Legends, Valorant, Apex Legends, Overwatch, and Rocket League.
In terms of esports betting, fans who like to bet on Call of Duty find betting on OpTic during Call of Duty League (CDL) games particularly intriguing, thanks to the team’s decorated CDL history and win rate. Esports betting platform Thunderpick offers different betting markets for Call of Duty, including Match and Map Winner, so fans can make better bets based on OpTic’s win/loss history on individual maps. Thunderpick also has a Live Betting feature where team fans can watch official CDL streams and place bets in real-time to closely follow the game.
After taking home the CDL Championship in the 2024 season, OpTic has had its share of ups and downs in the ongoing season. Currently sixth in the league, the team recently announced it has re-signed 2020 CDL champion, Cuyler “Huke” Garland, to its starting lineup. The team currently sits in sixth place in the CDL with 110 CDL Points, and the top eight secure a place at Champs — the biggest Call of Duty esports tournament of the year.
Esports venues in Texas
Aside from esports orgs like OpTic, Texas has also gradually become a home for prominent esports venues. Katy, Texas, saw the Allegiant Gaming esports store opening in 2019, bringing together Katy’s esports community. The store offers services and esports-related merchandise, and visitors can also pay an hourly rate to rent one of the store’s gaming computers. Recently, a new Valhallan Esports Training arena is set to open in McKinney, Texas. The new 1,440-square-foot arena would offer a space for visitors to participate in friendly competitive gaming.
Meanwhile, the Esports Stadium Arlington in Arlington, Texas, is currently the largest dedicated esports arena in North America, with a capacity of 2,500, and is specifically designed for competitive gaming events. The venue has hosted major esports events over the years, including FACEIT’s Esports Championship Series Season Six Finals, a global competition for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, as well as an Overwatch League game in 2021 — the venue’s first live event post-pandemic. In 2022, OpTic Gaming (owner of the aforementioned OpTic Texas) acquired the operating contract for Esports Stadium Arlington. The stadium has since hosted many OpTic events, including CDL majors, Halo Championship Series majors, and other Off-Season events.
Aside from official esports events, the stadium is also known for hosting gaming and tech-related events. For example, the HAKcon 2025 will be held at the Esports Stadium Arlington in May. The event is a celebration of future innovators and game-changers in the tech space, offering workshops and hands-on experiences for attendees.
Video game-based venues
Finally, aside from exclusive esports venues, there has also been an increase in video game-based venues around the state. In Katy, Texas, a Sonic the Hedgehog cafe was set up as a pop-up in 2024. The pop-up restaurant is a homage to the classic video game series, offering items based on the characters and world of the Sonic the Hedgehog video games. For fans of the game, the menu also cheekily includes items like Fast Fries, Golden Ring onion rings, and Knuckles Sandwich.
At the same time, the rising demand for social gaming spaces and experiences in the US has led to an increase in arcade bars, or “barcades”. In 2024, Pixel Palace Arcade and Bar opened to the public in Round Rock, Texas. The arcade bar features pinball machines, classic arcade games, claw machines, basketball, skeeball, and more games celebrating the late 70s to late 90s era. While seemingly a niche area in gaming, venues like Pixel Palace Arcade are a great reminder of the different gaming genres. While competitive esports continues on its way to the mainstream, many gamers and enthusiasts are also passionate about retro games and technologies, and these spaces provide an immersive and entertaining avenue for them.
Other arcade and game bars have become increasingly popular around the state. In Houston, gamers can visit places like Neil’s Bahr, a decade-old dive bar that features vintage couches, video game consoles, arcade games, and comic books. The bar also hosts karaoke and video game tournament nights for casual entertainment and friendly competition. There is also Joystix, a twice-a-month gaming experience for guests over 21. Joystix is an arcade shop specializing in selling and renting classic games, with a bar just next door (Bar 1820).
The continued rise of esports ventures, infrastructures, and community venues throughout the state can help draw more esports fans and enthusiasts worldwide to visit. As more venues and initiatives continue to rise, Texas can be a thriving hub for gamers and those looking to start esports careers.