Dream Cruises unveiled the first-ever permanent eSports facility at sea, where members of the public had an eSports experience debut and also enjoyed a friendly FIFA18 match with favourite radio hosts.
The 1700 ft2 venue is part of the VR games center ESC Experience Lab on MS World Dream. Referring to video game competitions which involve intensive physical and mental training, eSports emerged as a rapidly growing sector with serious market potentials. It has been admitted as a medal sport for 2022 Asian Games and is currently under review by International Olympics Committee as potential sports activity for the Summer Olympics in 2024.
In Hong Kong, the Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-Po pledged HK$100 million in 2018-2019 budget to promote eSports in the port city, namely to promote eSports as a mainstream sport and to educate the public on the emerging trend.
The dedicated eSports facility onboard World Dream is able to accommodate live audience of 80 persons along with up to 10 players; eSports events held in the facility can be streamed live to all passengers on LED screens and monitors of the ship, to the outdoor theatre in Zouk Beach Club, from indoor venues like the 999-seat Zodiac Theatre, Silk Road Chinese Restaurant, the lobby, and every in-cabin TV, totaling in a minimum onboard audience of 3,376 (based on lower berths of World Dream).