Configured inside a converted conference center, The Arena features flashy lighting, retractable bleachers, customizable LED screens and an overflow room for spectators to catch the action.
Moreno Valley students Jeremiah Fowler, from Canyon Springs High School, and Lysander Caponpon, from Valley View High School, fist bump Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, after competing in a mini-tournament at The Arena in downtown Riverside. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Michael Young and Caesar Quintero, from Rancho Mirage High School, play Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in a mini-tournament at The Arena in Riverside, the new home of the Riverside County Esports League. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Guests at The Arena, the new downtown Riverside home of the Riverside County Esports League, hang out in the lounge area Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Showcaster Lucy Cromwell narrates a video game mini-tournament on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at The Arena in Riverside, the new home of the Riverside County Esports League. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Lysander Caponpon, from Valley View High School in Moreno Valley, concentrates Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, as he competes in a video game mini-tournament at The Arena in downtown Riverside. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
The Riverside County Office of Education opens The Arena, a broadcast and gaming space for students, with a Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, event in downtown Riverside. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Riverside County students play Super Smash Bros. on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in a mini-tournament as guests watch in The Arena in downtown Riverside. The venue is the new home of the Riverside County Esports League. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Lysander Caponpon, from Valley View High School in Moreno Valley, concentrates on his game Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, during a mini-tournament at The Arena in downtown Riverside. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Students grip video game controllers on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, during a Super Smash Bros. mini-tournament at The Arena in downtown Riverside. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Asad Faber, from Valley View High School in Moreno Valley, focuses Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, on his game during a mini-tournament at The Arena in downtown Riverside. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Jeremiah Fowler, a student at Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley, reacts Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, to his loss in a mini-tournament at The Arena in downtown Riverside. The venue is the new home of the Riverside County Esports League. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Riverside County students concentrate on playing Super Smash Bros. in a mini-tournament as guests watch at The Arena in downtown Riverside, the new home of the Riverside County Esports League, on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Anthony Romero, from Valley View High School in Moreno Valley, plays Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in a mini-tournament at The Arena in downtown Riverside. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Riverside County students play Super Smash Bros. on on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in a mini-tournament at The Arena in downtown Riverside. A ceremony marked the opening of the venue, which will be the home of the Riverside County Esports League. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
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Moreno Valley students Jeremiah Fowler, from Canyon Springs High School, and Lysander Caponpon, from Valley View High School, fist bump Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, after competing in a mini-tournament at The Arena in downtown Riverside. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
The student gaming hub, which can hold nearly 400 guests during a contest, was created by the Riverside County Office of Education in its former conference center on 12th Street in downtown Riverside.
It opened Wednesday, Jan. 8, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and — of course — a mini-tournament of Super Smash Bros. featuring students from five high schools in four school districts.
The former conference center also includes a video production studio for the county schools office, a podcast recording space, team rooms and a tech lounge.
“This new facility provides a cutting-edge space for competitions while extending the sense of belonging and connection for students who are interested in pursuing their gaming passions in high school, at the next level in college or as a career pathway,” Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez said in a statement.
For esports competitions, up to 12 players can battle in The Arena, which also can be converted to host smallconferences of up to 150 people.
The league was formed in collaboration with esports clubs, teams, advisers, administrators and students across the county and features middle and high school students from 21 school districts. Using esports, it aims to build connections among students and possibly interest students in the gaming industry.
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