U.S. Open Got Gamers: Adds Interactive Gaming Zone To Grand Slam Gala
Friday, August 16, 2024 at 03:34PM By Barry Janoff
August 16, 2024: Seeing it as a “new, fun way for people to engage with tennis,” the U.S. Tennis Assn. has unveiled Advantage Arena, an interactive gaming zone that will be part of the 2024 U.S. Open Grand Slam experience.
Located inside the Chase Center on the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center grounds in Flushing, NY, the Advantage Arena will feature 13 playable gaming stations where people can compete against others and “immerse themselves in the world of tennis, online and IRL.”
"It's incredibly exciting for us to connect our growing presence in the gaming space with the on-site fan experience at the U.S. Open,” Brian Ryerson, USTA's head of product and user experience, said via the organization.
“Not only are we reaching more fans by collaborating with some of the most popular gaming titles in the world, the Advantage Arena gives our fans on-site a number of new, fun ways to engage with tennis, while also potentially drawing new fans to the U.S. Open."
Advantage Arena will be open to all U.S. Open attendees throughout the tournament, from the free-to-attend Fan Week Aug. 19-25 to final weekend of Sept. 7-8.
Tennis-themed games include Fortnite’s Tennis Storm, U.S. Open: Champions of the Court on Roblox, TopSpin 2K25 (including a virtual Arthur Ashe Stadium) and Tennis Clash (featuring U.S. Open courts).
U.S. Open: Champions of the Court is a virtual world that launched last year featuring singles and doubles matches against pro players, treasure hunts and obstacle courses (aka "Obbys").
Created exclusively for the U.S. Open, Tennis Storm is a new player-vs-player game built in Unreal Editor for Fortnite and integrated into TikTokers’ Birdo and Dagwummy's Minigame Box PvP Fortnite island.
Players use tennis racquets to hit explosive tennis balls scattered around an arena to eliminate opposing players, and the last player standing wins, according to the designers.
People who visit the Advantage Arena will have a chance to win more than 3,500 prizes, including free copies of TopSpin 2K25, more than 600,000 in-game redeemables on Roblox and other unique “unlockables” within Tennis Clash.
This year's in-game themed areas include the Ralph Lauren Ball Crew Obby and a refreshed, vacation-themed Obby featuring a new culinary experience in the Emirates "Fly Better" Adventure Zone.
The experience also features the new Polo Ralph Lauren Photo Quest, giving U.S. players a chance to win actual Ralph Lauren merchandise.
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