Dream Cruises unveiled the world's first eSports facility at sea Friday.
The new permanent 1,700-square-foot venue is part of the ESC Experience Lab aboard World Dream and is able to accommodate a live audience of up to 80 people and as many as 10 players at a time.
A professional staff will be on hand at the venue to help teach passengers the basics via complimentary workshops and free trial games. Access to the eSports facility will be available on every cruise departure.
Passengers will also be able to choose from a wide selection of games, including DOTA, Street Fighter and Tekken, among others.
Even if passengers aren't participating, they can still follow along. Any eSports event taking place in the new facility can be live streamed to each and every LED screen and monitor on the ship, including indoor venues such as the 999-seat Zodiac Theatre, the lobby, Silk Road Chinese Restaurant and outdoor theatre in Zouk Beach Club. Guests can also watch from their in-cabin television.
"We are excited to announce that the world's first dedicated eSports facility at sea is now available on World Dream, where professional and recreational e-players can compete in a state-of-the-art setting with a great variety of games," Dream Cruises President, Thatcher Brown said in a statement. "This initiative also supports the Hong Kong government and Tourism Board's commitment to promoting eSports in the region."
"We look forward to inspiring our guests from millennials to the young in spirit in these exciting eSports activities."
eSports has already been admitted as a medal sport for the 2022 Asian Games and is being considered by the International Olympics Committee for potential inclusion in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Launched last year, World Dream is Dream Cruises' second ship and the sister ship to Genting Dream. In addition to the new eSports facility, World Dream boasts nearly three dozen restaurant and bar concepts and features private balconies in over 70 percent of staterooms. The ship also possesses world-class retail offerings.
The 150,000-ton World Dream has dual homeports in Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
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