DreamHack Summer 2024 is a reminder to me that esports and in-person events are brighter, better, and better than ever.
As I sit in a busy hall, full of Swedish fans cheering on local side Alliance, it hits home how much of this aspect of esports is lost when you only watch it online. DreamHack Summer is not the biggest event in the esports scene, it’s not even the biggest in Jonkoping, that title goes to the Winter version of the event. But, sitting there you get a sense of the passion of the event, and it reminds you why you came to these events in the first place.
Look, we all know what it’s like. The internet playground can be a scary place, and people are toxic, but it doesn’t have to be like this, in fact, it doesn’t have to be. Look, esports is crazy and it has become a form of entertainment that is consumed by people online 99% of the time. But for the 1% or so who attend events, esports changes, becoming another beast entirely.
This is where DreamHack Summer comes into our story. DreamHack is known worldwide for the events it produces, but, DreamHack Summer, and the city of Jonkoping are special. The event started in the late 90s, and, apart from COVID the event has gone from strength to strength every year since then. I have attended this event as a ‘fan’ for the past 5 years as I lived in the city. This year, however, I went as a press to get a different perspective on the event, and spent less time on the event, and more importantly esports.
With DreamHack Summer this year, there are many different events to check out. We have the Esports World Cup, and EAFC 24, Tekken, and Street Fighter. Sweden’s regional CS2 competition, and, perhaps most appealing to most, the ESL Challenger event.
As we mentioned at the beginning of this story, the Challenger event had the added benefit of including the Swedish list of changes to the Alliance brand. Sadly, in their two performances on the stage, they couldn’t get that win, to be honest it was the part I wanted. Local fans even got to see the team play on Friday, but with Saturday being the busiest weekend, it was a shame not to see them play in front of a large local crowd.
Although the legend would not be there, the local crowd did not fail to deliver. One of the magical things about esports, is that most people are at games to watch great esports, rather than to support their team. As the series goes on, the fans get up and react to the game, the players on the stage and the fans below almost share each other. It’s magic to witness in person, and something even a Twitch chat can’t replicate.
While it’s no different at DreamHack Summer, the thing that comes across in the Arena is how small some of the people in the crowd are. I’m a parent, so it’s important to see parents bring their kids to a face-to-face event. Most of the people reading this are probably of an age used to the ‘push back’ we get to enjoy esports, and what a waste of time it is. but that is changing, and I think this weekend was the first time I saw it with my own eyes.
Esports World Cup – Bringing in a New Crowd
DreamHack Summer is more than just an esports event, an indie convention, an activation channel, an amazing air show, a family day, a food court, and a fun time… about 35k and coming to LAN alone. Once again, the event is full of people who bring their PCs from all over the country to play together. Honestly, I never really used to understand the appeal. But this year, I’m just walking around and seeing what’s going on.
What you see are friends, who may only play online together, playing in person and having fun. In fact, the LAN area is so popular that it is divided into three different areas. A large ‘normal’ area, a prime location, and a quiet place for people who want to play games without the noise of the environment. In fact, I turned to this idea, and although it is not something I can do, and with copyrights we already find a nice quiet place to do our work. But, if my child ever wanted to come when he grew up, I wouldn’t hate the idea of him going there.
DreamHack 2024 in Focus
Another important addition to this year’s DreamHack Summer is the ‘Road to the World Cup’ event. Although I spent little time at the stadium, one thing that was clear was the different groups of people watching the events. Both fighting games and EAFC attract very different audiences during the DreamHack weekend. While this may not seem like a big deal, what it does do is bring a whole new group of people into esports and the DreamHack ecosystem.
EAFC in particular, since the event is open bracket, anyone can enter as long as they pay a low entry fee. And while the events are going on more and more each day, it culminates in one of the most exciting events of the weekend, period.
While we won’t know what events will be in the future for DreamHacks, it was clear from the vibe at the Arena that EAFC, and fighting games will be very welcome if the schedules align.
DreamHack Summer – LANDing 2025?
You never know if you are going to the last event in the series or the next chapter in the story. DreamHack Jönköping has always had two events, summer and winter. And while, at least for the time being, winter has moved to Stockholm the summer event is still standing.
Although I don’t have an official answer to ‘We will see DreamHack Summer 2025’; I can confidently say that at least the Swedish fans will be eager to come back. Jönköping is an extraordinary place to visit. For those unfamiliar, Jonkoping is quite ‘central’, stuck between three major cities, but it doesn’t have an airport big enough to get people here and from the main train networks.
That said, the tourist numbers wouldn’t make you think they are hard to come by. However, DreamHack Summer and Winter have always felt very ‘Swedish’. Maybe that’s part of the charm of the events, and while I’m a little biased, DreamHack in Jönköping is always the highlight of my esports year. This year was also the first time my daughter was able to attend, so let’s hope it’s the first of many to come.
Special thanks to the team at DreamHack and Monster who have been so welcoming during my time here.
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