Major League Gaming arena under construction in China

Major League Gaming has partnered with a pair of Chinese corporations to build an eSports-dedicated arena near Hong Kong.

The arena, which MLG described to onGamers as a true stadium and the first of its time,” will open in 2017 on Hengqin Island – a tourist city just a short distance away from China’s international financial capital.

"This is yet another step in our plan to make eSports and MLG a part of mainstream culture worldwide," MLG president Mike Sepso stated.

The new arena is to be located in what’s to be designated as the ‘V-Zone,’ an $18 billion ‘Creative Culture City’ project for the island that will also feature space for video game expositions along with gaming-themed shops and restaurants.

The arena is just one of several significant moves Major League Gaming has made over the last six months. The company launched MLG.tv – a network dedicated to broadcasting eSports events and original programming – late last year, and earlier this year announced its planned expansion into South America through MLG Brasil.