A new esports tournament series will come to premium malls and outlets across the United States this fall, as part of a new deal between Allied Esports and real estate company Simon Property.
Simon Equity Development, a wholly-owned and indirect subsidiary of Simon Property Group, has agreed to a strategic acquisition of Allied Esports. The deal also includes Allied Esports’ sister company, the World Poker Tour. Both are currently owned by Ourgame International, which merged with Black Ridge Acquisition Corp., a facilitator of mergers and acquisition deals, in December.
As part of this deal, the companies will collaborate on building and operating co-branded “Simon Cup” tournaments and activations using the HyperX Esports Truck. The first competitions are set to launch at select Simon locations this fall, starting in the New York and Los Angeles markets, and culminating in a Grand Final at the iconic HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas.
Allied Esports is a long-term partner of HyperX, a maker of gaming headsets. The two are partners on the HyperX Esports Arena at The Luxor in Las Vegas. HyperX was also an official partner of Allied Esports’ North American mobile esports truck, which travels the U.S. to various gaming events. Last year the truck was present at E3, VidCon, and Comic-Con.
Simon and Allied Esports will also collaborate to bring esports experiences to select Simon destinations. In-mall arenas will be designed for tournament play and daily use, with the capability to be expanded into common areas for larger esports activations and live events.
“The agreement with Simon is a landmark opportunity to bring Allied Esports’ vision for the future of competitive gaming to Simon’s world class property network,” said Lyle Berman, director of Black Ridge. “The significant investment by Simon would be a testament to our unrivaled plans and to the opportunity Simon sees to participate in this growing industry.”
According to the deal’s terms, Simon will purchase $5 million shares of Black Ridge Acquisition Corp.
Allied Esports owner and Ourgame co-CEO Frank Ng said the marriage will “immediately strengthen” Allied’s efforts to create unique live esports experiences and content for gamers.