Fnatic and BMW, two super-giants of the esports industry and the car industry respectively, have teamed up to bring Berlin a brand NEW esports facility that will include an array of features to help esports professionals with their training, health, and careers.
Fnatic will be using the centre as their home ground as they train their highest competing professionals for their next League of Legends tournament. At the moment, they are focusing the team on the summer split of LEC.
This new centre will not only provide Fnatic with a place to develop, but also will set the standard for physical esports venues all around the world. Something that hasn't yet been developed to quite the level that this one has.
What is in the facility?
This brand new facility covers all the essentials for an esports team to progress. Of course with a few added extras. Features include: an in-house gym, fully serviced kitchen with appliances supplied by Hisense, changing rooms, a relaxation and recreation area, two gaming performance rooms, a content studio, a match review room, changing rooms, BMW sim racing rig and a dedicated office space.
A full video of the space has also come out on the team's official Youtube.
What have people been saying about it?
Jens Hofer, Director of Fnatic’s High Performance Unit, said: “The BMW x Fnatic Esports Performance Facility has been specifically designed to support our League of Legends players as they strive for excellence in the upcoming LEC Summer Season. We’re so excited to finally be opening the unit alongside BMW and setting a new standard for esports facilities in Europe. This facility is another step forward for our HPU as we plan our return to the top of European League of Legends”.
“It is crucial to be able to offer our players a great 360º experience that covers all their needs. That combined with the right staff in all meaningful areas like sport psychology and performance, in-game knowledge, management and content, gives our players the resources they need to be able to get to their best version.” added LOL Team Director Javier Zafra
What are the ambitions of the facility?
There are eight focuses that have been crossed off whilst building this facility. These are:
- Health
- Research
- Technology and Software
- In-game performances
- Processes and Operations
- Youth Structure
- Infrastructure
- Education
The health aspect of esports teams can often be neglected as teams are put under pressure to compete at the highest level. This focus gives teams a sigh of relief as Fnatic can have downtime at the newly installed ping pong tables.
Pia Schörner, BMW Group Head of Gaming and Sponsoring, said: “We are excited to collaborate with Fnatic, one of our successful United in Rivalry teams, on the new BMW x Fnatic Esports Performance Facility. It will cover all aspects needed for a team to be able to compete at the highest level of Esports. The broad approach, ranging from players’ physical and mental health over content creation to in-game performance, is reflecting the philosophy of BMW when it comes to Esports. In addition, the facility provides the perfect stage to showcase BMW Group innovations that we will provide to support Fnatic and their players to further increase their performance. We’ll bring some exciting projects to life in the future.”
The high tech facility will provide many esports teams with a foundational balance of care and work which is a highly unregulated part of the scene currently. With such a brilliant unit as a foundation, the industry can only excel from here.