The gaming and eSports event LEVEL UP celebrates its premiere with around 2,000 visitors
The brand-new gaming & eSports event LEVEL UP – The Gaming Arena debuted in Salzburg on August 21, 2021. Around 2,000 visitors of all ages gathered to celebrate the world of video games in the electric atmosphere of the Salzburg Arena.
That gaming and eSports are no longer trends but are now conquering the mainstream was already demonstrated by Austrian David "Aqua" Wang's victory in the doubles competition at the 2019 Fortnite World Cup, which earned his team $3 million in prize money. Since the Covid-19 lockdowns, which brought unprecedented growth to the industry, there has been no doubt: Gaming and eSports are not fads; they are mass phenomena comparable to the world's biggest sports. A testament to this development is the brilliant launch of the new event series LEVEL UP – The Gaming Arena. Around 2,000 visitors gathered at the Salzburgarena last Saturday, August 21, and spent a day together playing, celebrating, and marveling.
This is what lies behind LEVEL UP
The event was conceived as a hybrid of festival, trade fair, and live show in the unique setting of the Salzburg Arena, otherwise known as a venue for concerts, horse shows, and other major events in the region. Where pop stars usually perform, LEVEL UP featured a 20-meter-long stage equipped with a row of high-performance computers and a couch area for panel discussions. Countless flanking screens provided the necessary show experience. Inside the arena, visitors found twelve different exhibitor areas where they could play against each other, challenge professionals, or test out new trends in the industry. The so-called Side Area on the first floor and in the entrance area offered numerous other opportunities to experience gaming and eSports.
For the respective program items, the organizers of the Salzburg Exhibition Center and the agency Rookies at Work have brought on board a wide variety of partners. These include industry giants such as A1 and Red Bull, as well as regional companies and organizations such as Salzburg AG, the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, and the local eSports team Morekats Gaming. Helping the national scene achieve greater growth and visibility is one of the main goals of the event. Another was to reunite the gaming community at a physical event after a long dry spell, to create opportunities for exchange and establish Salzburg as an eSports hotspot in Austria and the DACH region.
"It was nice to see so many people from the scene. My gaming heart simply opened again," summarizes Luigikid Gaming, Austria's largest international gaming YouTuber with almost 700,000 subscribers. "The COVID-19 regulations, which require a 3G test, were very well enforced, which I think is very good." This is an important aspect of the Salzburg Exhibition Center's security concept, which has been developed over the past year and a half in collaboration with COVID-19 officials.
An adventure event – numerous different approaches
The approximately 2,000 visitors who flocked to LEVEL UP on Saturday from early morning until late at night were treated to a program as diverse as the gaming scene itself. Whether young or old, eSports enthusiast or casual gamer, with more than 20 exhibitor areas and 13 hours of stage programming, the gaming arena offered something for everyone—and—as they say in Salzburg—everyone.
Casual gamers had the opportunity to try out games on all major consoles or engage in duels with old and new friends. Parents accompanying their offspring even had the opportunity to relax with a round of mini golf.
Many took the opportunity to finally play a round of Mundo Dodgeball, Rocket League, or Super Smash Bros. with friends, something that usually happens online. This time, they were able to sit across from each other, which apparently intensified the experience.
Flying, dragon riding, and a 10-player free-for-all in virtual reality were the highlights for others, who particularly praised the VR areas of LosKrochn and Icaros.
Gaming connoisseurs and fans of indie games spent hours trying out selected titles from the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences and listening to the developers' presentations.
Visitors found their own unique way through the Salzburg Arena, with wait times at the booths kept to a minimum, as is typical at other major gaming events. This was partly thanks to a clever concept from the organizers called the "LEVEL UP Challenge." This real-life challenge involved finding and completing as many quests (tasks in the video game world) as possible using the hall map to win prizes. Children were seen packing gaming backpacks in record time and groups of role-playing fans loudly reciting battle cries. What is usually apparent online in chats and livestreams became clear offline at LEVEL UP: Contrary to widespread prejudices, gamers are anything but individualists; they prefer to be with like-minded people.
The morning's stage program provided a contrast to the actual gaming. Streamers and competitive gamers in attendance appreciated the input from industry experts who discussed the current state of the scene and future developments in the eSport Summit sessions. Later in the afternoon, the mood shifted to a more sports-oriented one.
eSports at its highest level
After a brief break for set-up, professional casters (the technical term for commentators in eSports) and players took the stage. A1 eSports kicked things off with the international tournament format Clash of Leagues. The winning teams from four different Brawl Stars leagues competed against each other. To the cheers of their fans, the SK Gaming team won the trophy for the first Clash of Leagues Europe.
Afterwards, Morekat's Mayhem #2 rocket-powered cars launched into the virtual soccer arena, and the atmosphere was just as vibrant as in the stadium. Thunderous applause for every goal and a sense of relief when the opposing team saves shots, just like you'd expect from a beer garden during the soccer season. Team SIR dominated the competition and deservedly took home the Rocket League title.
In the third live game of the evening, a League of Legends showmatch, the Austrian teams Flayn eSports and TT willhaben faced off. Minions and turrets were eliminated on three lanes. TT willhaben shone with power plays and significantly superior teamwork, taking the victory in the LEVEL UP LoL showmatch.
The evening, and thus the event, finally concluded with a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive exhibition match between Wooky eSports and Morekats Gaming. Fans loudly celebrated each round won by the 10 protagonists on stage.
What can we expect in the future?
The reaction of players and fans to LEVEL UP is clear: an event like this has been missing in Austria. Co-developer and moderator Philipp "Stocki" Stockinger summarizes: "It's a special event for everyone because we've all been in lockdown for a year and a half. You can see it in the people; everyone is excited, everyone is hyped, and it's incredibly fun to walk through the aisles and be there."
So it's no surprise that the next edition of LEVEL UP is already underway. This time, it will feature even more games, even more visitors, and an even more extensive program. The Salzburg Exhibition Center and the Rookies at Work agency are confident that LEVEL UP is already contributing to the growth and professionalization of the scene. "The plan is clearly to establish a permanent format in Salzburg over the next few years," says Alexander Kribus, Managing Director of the Salzburg Exhibition Center.
