ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) gaming and culture festival division DreamHack and U.S.-based retailer Walmart announced Tuesday that they will work together to deliver a “Lo-fi Play” experience at DreamHack Atlanta 2025, which takes place at the Georgia World Congress Center from Oct. 31 – Nov. 2.
Financial terms of this collaboration were not disclosed.
This new Lo-fi Play experience, part of the Walmart Delivers initiative, gives fans access to a retro gaming hub featuring 8-bit games from the ’80s and ’90s. According to the announcement, DreamHack attendees will be able to play “iconic retro video and board games, climb a live leaderboard, snap an 8-bit-style photo, and walk away with a free assortment of Walmart-sold gamer swag.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Walmart and their Walmart Delivers experience to DreamHack Atlanta,” said Andreas Jernberg, VP of commercial at ESL FACEIT Group. “Our festival is all about celebrating the gaming lifestyle and bringing our community together. Their lo-fi gaming hub is a fantastic addition that adds a nostalgic spirit to our event, offering a unique and engaging experience for our attendees. It’s great to see a brand like Walmart engaging with our community in such an authentic way.”
Walmart Delivers is making stops across the United States in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Dallas. More details about this tour can be found at walmartexperiences.com/walmart-delivers.
Walmart joins other DreamHack Atlanta partners, including Kick, DHL, Red Bull, Zenni Optical, CLX, and the United States Navy.
DreamHack Atlanta will serve as an important stop on the esports calendar for some players and teams; competitions scheduled to take place at this year’s event include the SNK World Championship 2025, the Clash of Clans World Finals, and the Clash Royale World Finals. Also taking place in Atlanta will be competitions aimed at the fighting game community (including the first competitive effort for Riot Games’ early access fighting game, 2XKO), Marvel Rivals, EA Sports College Football 26, EA FC 26, Rainbow Six Siege X, a College Invitational, the first-ever Organized Play event for Wildcard, a DreamHack Counter-Strike 2 competition, and more.
In addition to esports competitions, DreamHack Atlanta will offer attendees other activities, including GeoGuessr competitions, cosplay competitions, panels, and meet-and-greets, and access to Games Week Georgia. More details about all the activities at DreamHack Atlanta can be found at dreamhack.com/atlanta.
DreamHack is a subsidiary of EFG, which is in turn owned by Savvy Games Group, a Public Investment Fund company operated by the Saudi Arabian government. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, HRH Crown Prince MBS, is Chairman of the board of Savvy Games Group. EFG is also home to tournament organizer ESL, Esports Engine, and competition platform FACEIT.
Companies owned by the Saudi Arabian government are frequently accused of helping the government engage in so-called “sports washing,” or using various forms of sport and entertainment to cover up its record on human rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, military actions in Yemen, and more. These and other criticisms are actively highlighted by international watchdog groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.