5 Common Mistakes Made When Designing Esports Arenas

Esports is more than just a growing trend. It’s an excellent opportunity for schools to engage students in new and exciting ways. These programs bring together students who may not be involved in traditional sports, providing a sense of community and offering a space for them to develop problem-solving, communication and even leadership skills. While schools are eager to invest in esports, I’ve noticed a few common design mistakes that can impact the success of esports arenas. Let’s look at some of these mistakes and how to avoid them to create the best possible environment for students.

Get a group of students passionately competing in an esports arena together and you’ll quickly notice how loud it can get, even when they’re all wearing headsets. (Except when they’re playing Smash Bros 1v1—it’s an eerily quiet I can respect.) While that excitement is all part of the fun, the noise can be overwhelming and distracting. To keep focus and performance at its best, I recommend incorporating sound boards, fabric seating and a good amount of space between students to help decrease noise volume. You can’t prevent the shouts when a perfectly timed ball lands into the goal after time is up in an otherwise tied Rocket League game, but you can help them focus better between those monumental moments.

2. Air Ventilation

Gaming PCs are a hefty investment, and even the best ones can get hot—especially when running high-graphic games at the best settings. That’s why it’s important to provide proper air ventilation for PC towers when choosing the setup. Placing them directly on the floor increases the risk of dust build-up, while putting them on the edge of desks makes them prone to accidental falls. Ideally, you’ll want to create dedicated storage or a system that keeps airflow steady, preventing overheating without sacrificing quality.

Controllers, headsets, gaming mice, oh my! Esports arenas are always filled with an abundance of equipment and accessories. Where are students going to store their equipment? Will students be using their headsets or will the school provide them? And how are they going to keep them safe? You’ll need a system for storing and securing equipment between uses. For example, consider charging stations for controllers or lockers to keep headsets secure. You’ll also need to think about how you’ll differentiate the school’s controllers from the players if the players bring in their own. You could use anything from label makers to custom vinyl skins for easy identification.

How and where screens are mounted makes a big difference. Will the monitors be mounted to the wall or will you use the stands they come with? I’ve seen one instance at a school where they couldn’t mount screens because of the way the desks were built, so they used the included desktop monitor stands. The stands pushed the keyboards forward by more than nine inches, which gave players little space to work with and led to bad ergonomics for their wrists and arms. Plan carefully so that gamers have the right setup for comfort and performance.

Managing cords is essential when you have so many electronics packed into one esports arena. I worked with a school that opted for mobile desks, but they didn’t consider where the cords would need to run. They chose an Ethernet connection, which was great for their FPS (frames per second) but completely negated the mobility of their desks. Prioritize effective cord management from the start to avoid disorganization, tripping hazards and frustrations.

Designing Effective Esports Arenas

Designing esports arenas requires thoughtful planning, attention to detail and a mindset different from that of traditional sports facilities. Factors like noise control, proper ventilation, peripheral storage, screen placement and cord management are critical to creating effective and enjoyable gaming environments. As esports continues to grow, avoiding these common pitfalls is key to ensuring students have the optimal setup to focus, compete and thrive. With our expertise, we can help you navigate these challenges and design a space that supports both gameplay and fosters community, collaboration and top-notch gameplay. Reach out today and let’s create an esports arena students will love!