Nerd Street Gamers have done a lot to bring diversity and inclusion to esports, and this latest announcement is no exception. Today, we learned about Nerd Street Gamers upcoming Esports Campus, which will be located in Philadelphia. It’s going to be called “The Block”, and will be a 40,000 square-foot facility. It will be their headquarters, as well as this new esports campus. 

We’ve recently interviewed the Nerd Street Gamers team to discuss All-Women Valorant events, and their importance. You can read that interview here. We have another interview coming very soon, about the esports campus itself, so stay tuned for that.

The Block isn’t just Nerd Street Gamers’ esports headquarters. It’s going to have broadcast studios, an educational space, dedicated training centers, and a Localhost facility. That will be used to host amateur esports events, so it could be a great way for unknowns to break out on the internet. 

John Fazio, Founder, and CEO of Nerd Street Gamers spoke about the campus:

“Not only are we creating one of the industry’s largest gaming landmarks with The Block, but we’re also building a home for every member of Philadelphia’s gaming community and contributing a vital element to the redevelopment of North Broad Street.

“With this esports campus, we’re supporting the growth of the industry as a whole by increasing access to opportunities for gamers, public organizations, educational institutions, and the community at large.”

The Nerd Street Gamers esports campus is also partnered with Jefferson Heath’s Center for Autism and Neurodiversity, which will run programs and initiatives with Nerd Street Gamers. The hope is that it will introduce people with autism to esports, which is fantastic.

Wendy Ross, Director at Jefferson Heath’s Center for Autism and Diversity also had this to say about the partnership:

“By collaborating with Nerd Street Gamers, we can expand the innovation they bring to the city as a whole and empower and showcase the strengths of individuals with autism. Esports is in a unique position to provide new social and job opportunities for people with autism, and this esports campus in Philadelphia is an incredible launching point for the entire industry.”

It’s pretty hard to grow right now unless you’re involved with esports that is. Nerd Street Gamers is a group that definitely seems to do exactly what they say they’re going to. They’re fighting hard for inclusion and diversity, something esports is in dire need of now more than ever. We’re curious to see what kind of education on esports is going to come out of the Nerd Street Gamers campus. Perhaps Dustin Steiner’s interview will enlighten us on this! 

Though the hope is that Nerd Street Gamers’ esports campus will offer actual classes because there’s so much you need to know about esports. It’s more than just playing games really good and really fast. We’d like to see stuff like workshops on casting, production, or esports stars/coaches coming to discuss the industry. 

What would you like to see from The Block? What besides streaming do you think they could focus on to make esports a more welcoming, but competitive environment? We’d love to know!