The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) has announced a collaboration with Alienware, Dell’s gaming brand, to outfit the University’s first-ever esports and gaming lounge on campus.

The lounge was funded by a $1.2m (~£940,000) donation from Alienware and will feature the brand’s laptops and PCs, as well as peripherals, a broadcast studio and a lounge area. Alienware will also offer an undergraduate scholarship programme for CU Boulder students also funded by the donation.

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This is the first large-scale esports venue investment for CU Boulder, a public university in the US state of Colorado. The university has more than 5,000 students and 15 total gaming-oriented student organisations, whose members will now have a dedicated space to meet, practice and produce content.

The space, which measures 1,275 square feet, will be located in the University’s Memorial Center and is scheduled to officially open on January 25th.

Once opened, It will feature Alienware desktop computers and laptops, as well as Alienware displays and peripherals. In addition, a console area and a broadcast studio will be opened to cater to the needs of console gamers and video production.

In addition to outfitting the gaming and esports area, Alienware’s $1.2m donation includes $40,000 in undergraduate scholarship funding for ‘active CU gamers’.

Students connected with the University’s gaming programmes and communities or employed in the gaming lounge will be eligible for a scholarship, the university said. The $40,000 will be awarded in $5,000 increments to two students per year.

Matt McGowan, General Manager at Alienware, commented: “CU Boulder’s national prominence and thriving gaming community attracted Alienware to the university. The growing popularity of esports on campuses offers students the opportunity to participate in organised play, build an on-campus network, and prepare for associated career paths offered throughout the gaming and esports industry.” 

Alienware partnered with the University of Texas in October 2023 for a similar gaming and esports venue on campus, called the Alienware Longhorn Esports Arena.