How AndBox is raising the bar for New York e-sport gamers

In New York City, e-sports is about much more than just online competition. New York has a social community of gamers who are ready to show up, celebrate and support each other in a variety of games.  

The vibrant spirit of New York City’s gaming scene led to the creation of AndBox, a new e-sports organisation dedicated to the city’s gaming culture. Founded by Sterling.VC — the same group that operates the New York Mets and Sportsnet New York — AndBox will operate two multi-million dollar e-sports franchises while organising events for gamers in New York City.

Sterling.VC has already invested in the city’s gaming community with the New York Excelsior (NYXL), its Overwatch League (OWL) franchise. Though the Overwatch League hosts most of its matches from a studio in Burbank, California, NYXL worked with local fan groups in New York to host watch parties, competitions and meet-and-greet events with the team.

These events helped galvanise the city’s social gaming scene — fans of other games appreciated the social experience of NYXL’s events and were willing to embrace “Overwatch” too.

Andbox is raising the bar for what gamers expect from social events.

Gamers in New York have been organising their own events for years, long before e-sports became a multimillion dollar industry. But NYXL’s willingness to partner with grassroots organisers and invest in premium events helped create a welcoming atmosphere and inspired new possibilities for the city’s gaming community.

The founders of Andbox felt that their e-sports teams should have a connection with the local community.

“In New York, we have a unique opportunity to grow and unite the gaming community both on a local and global stage, and we’re confident that Andbox will continue to raise the bar by celebrating gamers on a scale rarely seen in this industry,” Andbox co-founder Rohit Gupta said.