An on-campus destination for gaming // Show Me Mizzou // University of Missouri

The Mizzou Gaming Lounge is located on the ground floor of Center Hall. It’s open from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
On one side of the lounge are 19 high-end MSI Aegis desktop gaming computers with 27-inch MIS Optix MAG274 LED monitors, headsets, keyboards and six-button gaming mice.
The space also features soft seating, bar tables and a wall of televisions. The machines are preloaded with 10 gaming titles, including League of Legends, Overwatch 2, Super Smash Bros. and Valorant. MizzouRec plans to install Nintendo Switch, Playstation and Xbox consoles in the future.
“Some people may think of gaming as a solitary activity, but it is actually more community based, and the gaming lounge provides an environment that supports this group activity,” said Tyler Page, director of MU Residential Life, who created the lounge. “It’s a safe way for students to take a study break and blow off steam. It also helps them develop another on-campus community where they feel they are cared for and where they belong.”

Mizzou Gaming Lounge grand opening

Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023
2 to 5 p.m. Faculty, staff and community partners
6 to 10 p.m. Students

Updated Jan. 31, 2023
Contact: Deidra Ashley, ashleyde@missouri.edu
Photos by Sam O'Keefe

A new gaming lounge on the University of Missouri campus gives students who are interested in eSports an opportunity to play, wind down and connect with one other.

The space, located on the ground floor of Center Hall, features a desktop-based play area as well as soft seating, bar tables and a wall of televisions for gaming system-based play. It’s open from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. MizzouRec members can check in just as they would at MizzouRec.

Plans for the Mizzou Gaming Lounge began in 2018 with the launch of Mizzou Esports — MU’s official varsity gaming program.

“We wanted to have a space for students to come in and play among each other, create a community and get to know other people,” said Ethan Cobb, MizzouRec assistant director of sports and competition.

The lounge opened to MizzouRec members in October. In the future, MizzouRec plans to invite nonmembers to use the facility for a small hourly fee. An hourly fee will also be charged to use the lounge on weekends, with MizzouRec members receiving a discount.

MU junior Ethan Paladino is the event coordinator for the Mizzou League of Legends Club, a recognized student organization, which has used the gaming lounge several times since it opened. “Although many students may already have the ability to play these games from home, it’s incredibly rare that students will have a computer build as high quality as those in the gaming lounge,” he said.

Paladino’s club wants to use the lounge to bring together its members, who usually interact only online. “We're planning to use the space for an upcoming tournament, which will allow us to bring all club members into the space to play against one another,” he said.

Story written by Jesse Berlin