The Asobu eSports startup has launched this February a 1,800 square meter gaming center in the SOM Multiespai shopping center (formerly Heron City), the largest in Europe due to its dimensions. The Asobu eSports space, which required an investment of one million euros, is aimed at the amateur public but also at the business sector, at a time when Barcelona is experiencing a growing appearance of video game development companies and has become the chosen capital for the location of large international firms. The promoters of Asobu eSports believe that the city can be a European benchmark because with this entire innovative ecosystem, an industrial and service cluster has been created for this economic activity, which they want to help promote.
Thus, Asobu eSports will offer services for companies, which will be able to hold team building workshops or intracompany tournaments to foster collaboration and strengthen teams with entertainment activities. For their part, individual users —fans of virtual entertainment between 20 and 40 years old— will be able to participate in the activities organized by the center and also reserve —in person or through the online platform— computers to go play. Another particularly relevant aspect of Asobu is the training of young people with options such as reinforcement classes linked to gaming and also personalized training.
Located on the second floor of the shopping center in the Nou Barris district, Asobu eSports has been adapted to house three areas or stadiums for video game tournaments —one of them with capacity for 120 spectators—, dozens of high-performance computer equipment, streaming rooms, and training bootcamps. This will allow holding tournaments in person and, thus, offer a unique experience to participants, who will be able to feel like professional players. The center will officially open next Friday, February 25, with the participation of prominent figures from the eGames sector.
The startup Asobu was created in Sabadell, in 2019, by entrepreneurs Roberto Expósito, current CEO, Quim Guasch, Carles Escolies, Jordi Pagès, and Toni Marsal. Since then, the company has closed two funding rounds for a volume of resources exceeding one million euros, which served them, among other things, to open the first gaming center in the Club Natació Sabadell premises, which was closed to make way for Asobu eSports in Barcelona.
The growth plan involves opening another entertainment center in Madrid within one or two years. This project has been postponed due to the pandemic, although a location had already been chosen in the Xanadú Madrid shopping center, in the town of Arroyomolinos. In two years, with Barcelona consolidated and Madrid operational, the firm expects to reach 12 million euros in turnover.