Editorials

Gaming at The Wall in Las Vegas

Sal Thomas / Jul 13th, 2018 No Comments

Esports is growing at a rapid pace. Tournaments are popping up left and right, and complete games are dedicated to the esports community. Thus, it should come as no surprise that everyone is trying to get a piece of the action. From Orange County to New York, esports venues and dedicated game havens are beginning to appear everywhere. With Las Vegas being the entertainment capital of the world, it makes sense that gaming lounges are starting to replace nightclubs.

The Wall in the Rio Hotel seems to be one of the best gaming lounges to pop up in Las Vegas to date. We were recently invited us to its soft opening, and we were impressed by what we saw.

Behind The Wall

Let’s start off with the basic layout of the venue. While gaming venues like the Esports Arena create a spectacle that is best designed for live tournaments, The Wall is different.

It may be a bit smaller, but it has more of an ultra lounge vibe. While the space can (and likely will) host tournaments — it is equipped with high-end Alienware computers outfitted with GTX 1080s — The Wall seems more like a place where you can just hang out and game with friends.

Lounge meets gaming

You’ll also quickly find out how this location got its name. A wall of taps allows you to go and pour your own drink at any time. Right now, they currently have soft beverages such as tea, Red Bull and Powerade, but they will have more than 40 different types of microbrews as well as food by the time The Wall officially opens.

The Wall’s unique vibe is a stark contrast to the more over-the-top, competitive atmosphere at places like the Esports Arena. This is not a knock on that type of venue, but it is nice to have two different gaming venues not so far from each other.

The Wall Gaming Lounge has a fun vibe.

Another huge benefit that some may overlook is the fact that the Rio Hotel has free parking. I know it may not sound like a big deal, but this can be a game breaker for some. Free parking means more money to use for game time without having to worry about what time you parked and how much you will be charged on the way out.

Our preview of The Wall at the Rio Hotel showed a lot of potential. We’re excited to see what the future holds for this venue, as well as the future of esports in Las Vegas.

See more pictures from The Wall on our Facebook page.