{"690058":{"#nid":"690058","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Esports Lounge Offers Free Games to Build Community ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou hear a lot of chatter in the Campus Recreation Center (CRC) \u2014 \u201cAll the weight machines are full!\u201d \u201cWhere is the swimming pool?\u201d \u201cI exceeded my one-rep max today!\u201d \u2014 but one sentence you don\u2019t expect to hear is, \u201cDo you want to go play video games?\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Esports and Gaming Lounge recently opened its doors after several months of construction and has been met with great enthusiasm from gamers and newcomers alike. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe facility is outfitted with 22 Alienware computers for CRC members to use. Each computer has a time limit of two and a half hours per person, and it resets every five hours. Through GGCircut, users have access to a wide variety of games that update automatically. Some of the most popular games include \u003Cem\u003EMarvel Rivals\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003ERainbow Six Siege\u003C\/em\u003E, and \u003Cem\u003EMinecraft\u003C\/em\u003E. There are also two console stations, each with a PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series S \u2014 games included. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think there\u2019s been a little bit of amazement that we were going to pull something like this off,\u201d said Brian Smith, senior director of Campus Recreation, who spearheaded much of the project. \u201cThere\u0027s been a lot of joy from students\u0027 faces, and a lot of excitement. I think people love the idea of having a place to come in and do something they have a passion for and enjoy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring the lounge\u2019s construction, Smith made it a priority to seek out student perspectives. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStudents needed it,\u201d he said, \u201cStudents wanted it, and we had the right leadership in place to make it all happen. I\u0027m really proud of the students who have stepped up to want to be in the space and want to run the space, and for us to have the opportunity to create it for them.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost pivotal to the project was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatechesports.com\/home\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Esports\u003C\/a\u003E, a student-run club that participates in a variety of collegiate esports competitions. Members provided key insights into the kind of equipment the lounge needed and will be the main users of the broadcasting and competition rooms. The competition room will be used for future esports events and has 12 Alienware Area 51 computers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat I think a lot of people don\u0027t understand about the esports and gaming industries is that they rely on each other in more ways than is intuitive,\u201d said D.J. Fratt, president of Georgia Tech Esports. \u201cWhile I consulted on several design aspects for the space as a whole, I actually advocated on the esports side of things for a casual space to be included and accessible with a project like this; that advocacy existed long before our discussions with the CRC.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the esports lounge is still booting up, the future of the space is bright.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor me,\u201d Smith said, \u201cit\u0027s an opportunity to engage with students who maybe wouldn\u0027t come into the CRC, and then also introduce them to all the things that we have going on.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Esports is particularly excited about the benefits to the campus community, and \u201ccontinuing to find collaborations between the esports organization and other on-campus entities, especially those that help develop students\u0027 professional skills or highlight Georgia Tech\u0027s focus on innovation,\u201d Fratt said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom experienced competitors to fledgling gamers, the Esports and Gaming Lounge provides a space for experimentation and free creative expression \u2014 plus, most importantly, fun. The lounge is open Monday through Thursday, 3 \u2013 9 p.m.; Friday, 3 \u2013 8 p.m.; and Saturday, noon \u2013 6 p.m. It is closed on Sunday.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The new lounge at the Campus Recreation Center gives gamers a place on campus to call their own. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe new lounge at the Campus Recreation Center gives gamers a place on campus to call their own.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The new lounge at the Campus Recreation Center gives gamers a place on campus to call their own. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-04-29 19:47:43","changed_gmt":"2026-04-29 19:54:19","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680114":{"id":"680114","type":"image","title":"Students in esports lounge","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Esports and Gaming Lounge at the Campus Recreation Center. Photo by Joya Chapman.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777492151","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 19:49:11","changed":"1777492151","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 19:49:11","alt":"Students in esports lounge","file":{"fid":"264354","name":"26-R10410-P113-003.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/26-R10410-P113-003.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/26-R10410-P113-003.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1851740,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/26-R10410-P113-003.jpeg?itok=hJYDfhUK"}}},"media_ids":["680114"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42891","name":"Georgia Tech Arts"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"95781","name":"esports"},{"id":"2449","name":"video games"},{"id":"4523","name":"Campus Recreation Center"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stucomm@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EEllie Jenkins\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}