DreamHack, the premier sports LAN event, enjoyed its 2016 American experience so much, it decided to return in 2017 for three more stops. Having already entertained crowds in Austin in April and Atlanta in July, its final stop will take place in Denver this October 20-22.
eSports fans had better pack some warm winter clothes for the event, which is essentially a giant LAN party. Players and pro teams always take centre stage at any DreamHack event, but viewers can bring their own computers in a bid to win prizes in a number of various tournaments. Gamers will be rejoicing with their sweet rigs for three days of nonstop action.
Since DreamHack’s inception in 1994, it had never staged an event outside of Europe until last year’s Montreal and Austin events. All ticket categories sold out for the 2016 Austin event within 24 hours, proving DreamHack’s immense popularity among its American audience.
Eight Strong Sides Make up Double-Elimination Format
The CS:GO tournament will see two groups of four teams play in a double elimination format. The top two will move on to the playoffs when we head into the single elimination phase. The $100,000 prize pool will be shared among all eight teams, with $50,000 going to the winners.
Six of the teams were invited to the tournament. The two remaining places were filled through online open qualifiers for North America and Europe. Invited were BIG, CLG, Cloud9, mousesports, Renegades, and Tempo Storm. HellRaisers won the open qualifier for Europe while NRG won in North America.
Travelling fans have a great chance to explore one of America’s truly great cities, either before or after the event, where they will see just how far the urban city has come. It’s still very possible to catch the odd gentleman walking along 16th St Mall while wearing a stetson, but the cosmopolitan capital of the Intermountain West deservedly enjoys its status as an arts and culinary scene. It also offers great cycling trails and parks, numerous brewpubs, and its close proximity to spectacular camping, skiing, and hiking in the Rocky Mountains: a nice change of pace after three days of gaming.
Each of its neighbourhoods caters for a specific type of visitor, with River North for eye-catching street art and hipster bars, South Broadway and Lower Highlands for great live music and eateries, Cheery Creek for glam, Santa Fe and the Golden Triangle for museums, theatre and arts, and Lower Downtown for upscale cocktail lounges and restaurants.
Many of the older areas are perfect for exploration, with an intriguing mix of homeland apartments featuring flowery front gardens, huge, shady trees, bright green lawns, and wide flagstone sidewalks. There is no shortage of stunning parks, full of colourful gardens, recreational opportunities, abundant wildlife, crystal clear lakes, and meandering paths. Numerous museums offer a glimpse into Denver’s rich pioneer history.
The green-friendly city boasts one of American’s first municipal “Green Fleets”, a city tree-planting scheme, and public transport vehicles with alternative and hybrid fuel. It’s enjoyable to either to walk or cycle around, or ride the green bus.
The Culture of DreamHack
October is a great time to visit Denver, with an endless calendar of outdoor festivals, as well as gondola rides and sports.
DreamHack is the largest digital gaming festival in the world, with major festivals held in North America and Europe. The events are not only a platform for eSports, but also for the DreamExpo Hall, cosplay, game and internet culture, lectures from game developers, live music, and knowledge and creative competitions.
DreamHack is a production company that focuses on eSports, gaming, arena productions, and music, for digital content providers and traditional television. Over 230,000 visitors attended DreamHack events in 2016, with close to 40 million hours of entertainment watched by audiences following the broadcasts over the internet.
