Gaming venue leveltap opened its doors in Liverpool and May and over the next few months will stream a number of global esports events. Tony McDonough reports

Multiple global esports events will be streamed live in Liverpool over the next few months at the city’s newest gaming venue.

In May, leveltap was launched in Hanover Street. It has been opened by entrepreneurs Adam Rydings and Callum Wilson.  It provides a base for gaming and esports spectating and will also host and broadcast live events from around the world.

Across two levels, as well as a bar, dining area and lounge, leveltap features 10 console stations, all containing a Nintendo Switch and either a PS5 or an Xbox Series X, along with two racing simulators and 20 PCs.

A mezzanine level has been designed for streamers and competing teams from which their gameplay can be broadcast onto projectors and TVs around the venue, with a lower level arena seating more than 100 people.

Over the next three months gaming fans will be able to watch global esports superstars compete for “staggering sums of money” on leveltap’s multiple screens.

The action starts this week over three days from July 13 with the Apex Legends ALGS Championship 2023 featuring the 40 best Apex Legends teams in the world, competing in-person for $2m and the title of Year 3 ALGS Champions.

From August 3, esports devotees will have two major championships to enjoy from the comfort of leveltap’s spectator arena and lounge.

They are the  Rocket League World Championship in Germany and the Valorant Champions 2023 beamed in from Los Angeles from August 14.

And from September 16 the World Series of Warzone Grand Final will see the top 50 trios in the world battle it out for the global crown and $500,000, including Liverpool’s own Warzone professional “Jukeyz” (Liam James).

Esports have boomed in recent years with more and more viewers tuning in to watch their favourite games being played by some of the best gamers in the world.

Prize purses in 2023 have topped $70m and the current 2023 world 25 rankings contains four British players who, combined, have won in excess of $1.5m.

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Adam Rydings, leveltap co-founder, said: “We are really excited to be showing these massive events in leveltap because each is the pinnacle of their discipline.

“Esports spectating is massive and growing and we want to make the thrill of world championships and watching the best gameplayers more accessible to fans in Liverpool.”