Battle Arena at The Jaya Shopping Centre has been open for over a year now, but it was only a couple of days ago that I managed to pay a visit. Boasting over 17,000 square feet of space, the futuristic-looking space is dedicated to e-sports. When not hosting tournaments or events, the arena is open to both professional and casual gamers, and comes equipped with state of the art gaming computers and even streaming equipment.
You register as a member at the counter and pay upfront to get a username/login as well as credit. Payment is charged by the hour, and this will be deducted according to time until you’re logged off. There are several categories to choose from, the cheapest being RM5/hour.
The layout features an open space in the centre, with large screens, two battle ‘stations’ housing five seats for each team, and beanie bags for spectators. The space is surrounded by catwalks and more pods on the upper level.
The metallic steel-like structure resembles a cage, giving it an arena-like feel where spectators can watch from above while their favourite teams duke it out. The lower floor also has rooms for privacy, or for when you’re training with friends.
The regular stations. Wasn’t too crowded on a weekday night – I imagine it’s busier on weekends.
Before you choose your computer, you are given a ‘mouse’ menu with several different types to choose from, so you can select the one that fits your hand and playing style best. Everything is sanitised once the player leaves the station, so it’s clean and ready for the next player.
Games-wise, they carry mostly multiplayer games such as Dota, Overwatch, PUBG, Starcraft and Hearthstone. Not my cup of tea because the online communities are usually unforgiving if you’re a ‘noob’, so I ended up playing Diablo 3 and surfing the net for 3 hours lol. You can also order food and snacks from downstairs, which they will deliver right to your table.
Ignoring the shouts of “Fck him Up! Kill him!” coming from my left and right, the place is quite a pleasant environment to game. If you enjoy multiplayer games, this might hit the right spot.
BATTLE ARENA
Lot 5.08-11 Jaya Shopping Centre, 26A, Jalan 14/17, Seksyen 14, 46100 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Business hours: 12PM – late
Phone: +603-7932 1199
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