OverActive Media Unveils Plans for 7,000 Capacity Esports Venue

The parent company of the Toronto Defiant, OverActive Media, has unveiled plans to build a brand new Esports venue, that would house some 7,000 fans. Based in Toronto, Canada, the facility would be based at Exhibition Place. Expected to be opened in 2025, the venue will come with both a hotel complex and entertainment theatre.

It is expected that the venue will also be the new home of the organization’s Overwatch and Call of Duty League’s franchises. Some 200 events could be held at the venue each year once it is built, coming from the world of entertainment and music. This will help to recuperate some of the $500 million spent.

What OverActive Has Said on the Plans

OverActive hope that the venue will become Toronto and Canada’s “destination of choice” for Esports gamers and fans on a global scale. Speaking on the announcement, OverActive CEO Chris Overholt stated that: “Today is another important step in the evolution of OverActive Media. We are building a world-leading, 21st-century sports media and entertainment company and this best-in-class performance venue will be the chosen home for a new generation of fans that think differently about their entertainment choices and experiences.”

The new facility has been designed by Populous, who was the company behind the Olympic Stadium in London, as well as the visually stunning new home of English football club Tottenham Hotspur. Speaking on the design, Jonathan Mallie, Senior Principal and Lead Designer of Populous, had the following to say:

“The design of the theatre was neither conceived as a sports arena nor an opera house, rather, a new typology that straddles the two – a state-of-the-art performance venue. The theatre architecture creates a merger of the old and the new.”

How the Venue Could Help OverActive Grow

It is understood that OverActive is already in talks with major Esports tournament organizers, which could pave the way for a host of leading events to head to Canada. With the company already having two Esports franchises to its name, the development of its own venue was perhaps the next step for OverActive. However, it is a major statement whichever way you look at it, with the proposals having impressed many within the industry.