Loading Bar loses London home

The popular gaming bar Loading has called time on its Soho location.

The firm’s makeshift home on Rupert Street has been a fashionable hang out place for gamers, developers and industry types, and has held a number of events for the likes of 2K, Creative Assembly, Ubisoft, Team 17 and Nintendo. It also organized last year’s Etoo event.

But it was only a temporary home and the owners of the venue have now partnered with a new business.

Loading will close next Friday, but owner James Dance says he is on theb hunt for a permanent venue. In the mean time, he will focus on his events business, which included last night’s BAFTA Game Awards bar.

"It’s been an amazing 12 months starting with the pop up which drew so much support but its time to secure a permanent space more fit for purpose,” he told MCV.

It’s been great to carve out a niche offering up a space where triple-A takes a place alongside niche titles and put games in the hands of people that would never normally be reached."

He added: "The break gives me time to sit down with interested parties about how we take everything we’ve learned in the last year along with working financials, which has always been the hurdle as gaming venues were such an odd proposition to investors."