Nerd Street Gamers is a national esports infrastructure that puts accessibility, integrity and opportunity at the forefront of everything they do. As gaming communities slowly began to gain traction on a small scale, the CEO of Nerd Street Gamers and Localhost, John Fazio, knew that individuals nationwide would soon realize the passion and talent that gamers bring to the esports industry, hence Nerd Street Gamers and Localhost were born. Nerd Street Gamers was founded with the purpose to lower the barrier of entry for competitive gamers and its sister company, Localhost, serves as the premier location for esports competitions, training sessions, and more. Together, both companies provide a point of entry for competitive gamers, casual gamers, and anyone with a spark of interest in gaming and esports.
At its core, Nerd Street Gamers main goal is to increase accessibility within the esports industry and its gaming communities, through innovation. The emergence of The Block is a direct reflection of its core. The Block, (approximately 40,000 square feet in size) will be the world’s first esports industry campus, equipped with global broadcast studios, dedicated training centers for professional teams and schools, plus an educational space for community partners. Furthermore, a 20,000 square foot
Localhost facility capable of hosting community, scholastic, amateur, and pro-level events will be available publicly to the gaming community. The Block will also serve as the new headquarters for the national esports network, Nerd Street Gamers. The Susquehanna Soniqs, will be the first professional esports organization to take advantage of its amenities through a five-year partnership. Other partners that will take advantage of this facility include Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs, Team Altemus,
Aim Lab and TechGirlz. Located in the heart of Philadelphia, The Block will increase networking within the esports industry and gaming community, as a culture of inclusivity and accessibility will emanate from the facility’s staff and atmosphere.
Nerd Street Gamers is a national network of esports facilities and events, dedicated to providing every level of gamer with competitive opportunities to hone their skills, network, and become a part of an ever-growing community. Their devotion to make esports accessible, digestible, and inclusive to everyone not only deals with competitive gaming opportunities, but education advancements, opportunities to work towards real jobs in the industry and connecting communities who have never experienced esports before. Every resource provided by Nerd Street has the common goal of lowering the barrier of entry into the esports industry. To effectively achieve this goal, collaboration is a key element for success. This is why Nerd Street Gamers has experienced exponential growth and accumulated partners such as 5 Below, Comcast Spectator, Mavix, Mike and Ike, SeventySix Capital and Founders Fund. With the unannounced pandemic in 2020, Nerd Street was able to pivot and contribute to unprecedented events that made esports history, as they dominated the online scene. One of those events, the FTW Summer Showdown, showcased the first and largest all women tournament of its time. In collaboration with Comcast Spector and Riot Games, the FTW Summer Showdown shined a light on strong, confident, and talented females behind and in front of the camera. The rippling effect of this event supported the continual mission of building a positive environment to showcase incredible female talent. Through further collaboration with companies such as the NFL, NBA, Special Olympics, Dignitas, and Twitch, Nerd Street will continue to provide opportunities for all levels of gamers despite race, religion, culture, and gender.
Localhost is a network of gaming and esports centers located across North America. It was created to lower the barrier of entry to esports by providing high quality gaming equipment for affordable pay-as-you-go pricing. They provide a homebase for gamers of all skill levels to compete, build community, and improve their skills. Even during the pandemic, as Nerd Street was able to pivot its efforts and effectively conduct business
online, Localhost expansion was well underway. The pandemic was not able to stop either company from reaching out their hand and opening the door to esports for many individuals across the nation. One way Localhost was able to open the door was through a partnership launched during the pandemic with Parks and Recreation departments around the country. These partnerships were first launched in Philadelphia, PA and Brentwood, MO with the goal of bringing competitive esports experiences through camps and programs, both online and in person at Localhost. With a focus on child development, these after school programs encourage gamers to socialize with others and develop critical thinking skills, all within the environment of esports.
