Gaming center to offer space to play and learn

Harrisburg has a new Esports facility that will serve as a gaming hub where players can use a computer connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) to compete in multiplayer games. 

The LAN Center officially opened at 19 S. Third St., near Harrisburg University of Science and Technology’s new Education Center Monday. 

Harrisburg-based professional Esports team, the Soniqs, which will manage the center, said the center will serve as a hub for gaming in the area.  

“We wanted to build the LAN Center in the middle of downtown Harrisburg so we could give back to the gaming community,” said Soniqs CEO Darren Moore. “We really wanted to give people a space where they could come, play, and learn.” 

The LAN Center will be available to Harrisburg University’s varsity Esports team, The Storm, and clubs and groups for private events. LAN Center patrons will be able to participate in tournaments, engage in casual play with peers, and watch games as spectators.  

Esports professionals will also teach workshops and other educational events in the roughly 2,000-square-foot space.  

Harrisburg-based JEM Group LLC constructed the space. Soniqs sponsors, Intel, Viewsonic, and Zipchair have all contributed to the launch of the LAN Center.  

The center features Intel NUC PC’s built with 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900 CPU’s, 16GB of RAM, and RTX 3060 TI’s. These PCs will provide the local community with some of the best Intel hardware, providing a high-end gaming experience and learning tool.  

Accompanying these PCs are ViewSonic’s 27-inch 1080p 240Hz IPS gaming monitor. These displays are built to deliver high-end gaming with high refresh rates which are necessary for esport competitions, according to Moore.  

At each setup are Glide Gaming Chairs from Zipchair, which provide ergonomic support, height controls, adjustable armrests and tilt tension regulation. These gaming chairs allow for casual gamers maximum comfort and esport competitors’ ultimate control over their posture. 

The HU Esports club attended the grand opening, held at 10:30 a.m. Monday to test the machines, said Trey Lykins, community manager for the Soniqs, who were also on hand.