DreamHack, the esports event organizers, have announced that they are organizing a festival in Japan for the first time and will be partnering with Sony entertainment. All the typical events that are associated with such festivals – esports tournaments, music concerts, and cosplay competitions – are slated to take place. Most of Sony’s IP like anime, apps, music, esports and digital technology will also be seen at the festival.
Shahin Zarrabi, who is the VP of Strategy and Growth at DreamHack, was full of optimism when speaking about the deal.
“We are super excited to welcome Sony Music Entertainment and the gamers of Japan to our growing, global community,” he said. “The partnership will allow us to combine Sony Music Entertainment’s IP in diverse industries alongside our 24-hour-a-day festival weekend featuring everything gaming under one roof. Together we will build a new, electrifying entertainment culture that all attendees can experience.”
This is one of many big deals that DreamHack has signed in recent times. A deal with EA Sports to host the 2022 NHL Gaming World Championship for the National Hockey League (NHL) was recently agreed upon. They’ll also be teaming up with HUDstats, the analytics company, for that event. This latest deal with Sony is among the many significant deals for them so far in 2022.
Image Credits | DreamHack
They have also added a $100,000 Fortnite tournament to their calendar this year, alongside other major video game and esport titles like Rocket League, League of Legends, and Super Smash Bros competitions. Even the likes of Ubisoft have got in touch with DreamHack, who confirmed that DreamHack Winter in Sweden will host November’s Rainbow Six Siege Major.
The festival in Japan wouldn’t have been possible without Sony Music Entertainment becoming DreamHack’s license holder. The event is projected to take place in 2023 and the dates haven’t been confirmed yet. Sony has been in multiple industries for a long time and is now doing the same within the esports industry. They recently acquired Repeat.gg, an esports tournament platform, and entered into a partnership with the likes of VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) and Evolution Championship Series (Evo).
For DreamHack, much of this is still new. The organizers have a lot of experience in Europe and North America but will be making a major move into Asia for the first time. It will present certain challenges but their success outside the Asian continent should prepare them for this.
Japan has one of the most substantial gaming and esports audiences in the world. It has been home to many of the great video game developers over the years, and it was only a matter of time before DreamHack took its festivals to the land of the rising sun.
Japan is no stranger to events of this kind either, and DreamHack will have to conjure up some innovative ideas to make a lasting impact. The ESL Faceit Group will be partnering Sony in this event, which should help run things smoothly. When the festival eventually takes place, it promises to be a fantastic weekend for those who will participate in the inaugural event.
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