Long Beach City College this week opened a new $2.3 million, state-of-the-art eSports center, where students will practice and compete with headphones, keyboard and mouse.
Officials at the center’s opening touted it as the largest facility of its kind in Southern California. Officials hope it will be a boon for students interested in the fast-growing field of video gaming, an industry expected to take in $4.8 billion this year.
“Long Beach City College is proud to lead the way in providing students with access to this rapidly growing multi-billion-dollar esports industry with well-paying jobs,” Uduak-Joe Ntuk, president of the LBCC Board of Trustees, said in a statement.
A former computer lab and nearby room in Building M, just north of Carson Street, now house the lab at LBCC’s Liberal Arts Campus. Construction began a year ago and finished in July, in time to open for students during the 2024 fall semester.
Renovations were funded by Measure LB as well as the college’s capital outlay fund.
The room is kitted with renovated lighting fixtures, electricity and internet so as not to risk interruptions. It also includes a casting booth for live, professional-grade livestream broadcasts of online gaming competitions.
“This cutting-edge facility is more than just a gaming lab—it’s a gateway to future careers in technology, broadcasting, and game development,” Ntuk said. “Our investment in this state-of-the-art space reflects our commitment to innovation, workforce development, and student success in the digital era.”
E-sports, or electronic sports, are multiplayer video game competitions in which players play against one another, typically on teams of five or six, through a digital platform monitored by judges.
The center is equipped with 47 Alienware computers and teaching stations for instructors. It will be frequented by the school’s five gaming teams, which, since 2022, have competed in tournaments for games such as “League of Legends,” “Call of Duty,” and “Valorant,” among others.
The school also competes in National Association of Collegiate eSports, the equivalent of a Division I league, which requires a facility and official recognition of the college.
So far this year (as of late February), the school’s eSports teams maintain a combined 15-13 record, with competitions scheduled through April. Going forward, a school spokesperson said the college plans to roll out a women’s program for the 2025-26 season.
The recreation center will also allow casual gamers and eSports-hopefuls alike to play on the same cutting-edge gaming equipment used by professional gamers. Spectators can come and watch players cast spells online and slay enemies with virtual weaponry.
In recent years, video game makers and event organizers have aggressively expanded the professional tournament circuit in Long Beach and Southern California, seeing it as a lucrative business opportunity to turn video gaming into a global spectacle like the NBA and NFL.
Last March, the city hosted the eSports Arc World Tour Finals, a three day event in which thousands attended Thunder Studios in North Long Beach to watch the competitions under the Arc System Works brand.
At Cal State Long Beach, students with the CSULB eSports and Gaming Association fight for spots on the 15 eSports teams that compete in 10 different games.
The school projects the industry to be worth as much as $16.7 billion by 2033, with careers in gaming technology already appearing. Revenue comes from sponsorships, ticket fees and merchandise sales, according to Statista.
California hosts the largest swathe of the industry’s economic impact in the nation.
LBCC currently offers a certificate in “Multimedia Interaction & Game Design,” which is needed to pursue several types of careers in the gaming industry.
LBCC Superintendent-President Mike Munoz said in a statement that it’s exciting to see opportunities for students expand with evolving technology.
“By expanding our programs and staying ahead of industry trends, LBCC is empowering students with the skills they need to launch careers in gaming, digital media, and other technology-driven fields,” he said.