When you walk into Brookdale’s esports arena, it’s like walking into another dimension, with neon lights and big screens. It almost has an other-worldly feel, comparable to the world of Tron.

Students gather to play games and find some time to unwind before and after classes. But the thing that makes the esports arena so special is that it’s open to everyone.

There are many games to choose from: arcade games, console games, PCs, and virtual reality. All are free to play except the PCs and VR. The VR is $7, and PCs are $3 for students, $4 for faculty and $5 for non-Brookdale-affiliated people. All rates are per hour. The esports arena is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Brookdale currently has three varsity teams for Rocket League, Valorant and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. There are also competitions for Call of Duty and Overwatch.

Those who would like to compete in different games can suggest those by clicking the link at the bottom of this article and finding the game request from on the webpage.

Chris Boehmer, a former IT faculty member, is director of the arena. Boehmer had a vision for an arena where people could come and play games and compete alongside other colleges and brought the idea to life with approval from the Board of Trustees.

You can watch streams of the competitions on twitch under the name brookdale_esports. You can join the esports arena discord, find out more information about the arena, and competitions, by going to brookdalecc.edu/esports. A form to suggest a new game is also available there.