AVT Question: Please share insights on emerging trends and technologies that help engage fans, distribute audio and video in near real-time, and make a difference in sporting venues and esports arenas.
Thought Leader: Robert Scovill, Live Sound Market Manager at Eastern Acoustic Works
It’s easy to assume that esports events would be a natural fit for any modern-day concert sound system. These are huge events with large crowds of enthusiastic gamers set in an arena typical of the scale for full-blown music concerts. However, this competition is broadcast live with gamers sitting behind their gaming consoles competing in front of an audience.
One audio design criteria is that the system must be capable of covering a full 360 degrees of audience geometry, often with a steep vertical demand." —Robert Scovill, Live Sound Market Manager at Eastern Acoustic Works
Esports audio comes with specific demands and aesthetic sensibilities. One such demand is that nothing can impede the view of the screens for the audience. The other audio design criteria is that the system must be capable of covering a full 360 degrees of audience geometry, often with a steep vertical demand. Additionally, it must offer excellent pattern control to keep audio off the stage and away from the gamers themselves. This dovetails perfectly into the design philosophy for EAW ADAPTive systems, which was recently evidenced at the Riot Games’ 2025 LTA Championship in Texas. Will Taylor, owner of Square Wave Productions, said, “The easiest way to do this event was with the EAW Anna system. It’s a game changer for what we’re doing.”
EAW ADAPTive products, such as Anya, Anna, AC6, and Otto, are all active designs that hang in straight columns and can expand horizontally, with each corner hanging from a single rigging location. This allows them to disappear into the corners of the video screens. ADAPTive products are one of the only PA systems to operate as a single acoustic source; they can simply ADAPT their vertical coverage via Resolution software to any vertical start and stop point. This allows the production to be very flexible with trim height and overall line length with no sacrifice to vertical coverage for the audience. EAW ADAPTive products are a significant win for the production designers at pro-level gaming events.
