The UNLV Harry Reid Research & Technology Park has a hot new tenant.

The Las Vegas Inferno professional esports team is moving into the Black Fire building, with the fourth-floor esports arena being transformed into the Inferno’s home field as it competes in popular games like League of Legends, Call of Duty, and Rocket League.

“We are beyond excited,” said Michael Cox, chief operating officer for the 3-year-old team. “We want to help build up Las Vegas as the esports capital of the world, from both a production and in-person scale.”

The team, which is also moving its business operations into the building, is expanding the arena space and expected to begin play there later this year or in early 2024. It currently plays out of HyperX Arena at the Luxor and Velocity Esports at Town Square

“Our goal is to not only bring the esports community out to more in-person events,” Cox said, “but to also demonstrate great production quality and content within the arena with many of our great partners and collaborators such as Activate Entertainment,” an esports production services company.

The team’s move into the Black Fire space was prompted by a conversation between Cox and Albert Delgado, director of small business development at the UNLV Office of Economic Development. They discussed how best to reach the Las Vegas esports community, and “eventually the conversation led to working directly with UNLV and their Rebel Gaming division,” Cox said.

The Inferno has 50 players, coaches and staff affiliated with the team, and last year it launched the Inferno Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports youth in Southern Nevada.

“Esports is the fastest-growing form of entertainment in the world,” says UNLV Senior Associate Vice President of Economic Development Zach Miles. “The success of the Inferno shows how esports has evolved from a niche activity to a mainstream phenomenon, and we welcome the team to the building.”

MIles said collaboration with the team provides UNLV with “unique opportunities” to educate students about esports and help conduct research and development in the field.