Red Bull Legends Inn celebrates Chicago esports scene: “It’s my first time going to an Apex event. I’ve always wanted to go to one of these.”

The Red Bull Legends Inn event is well underway at The Godfrey Hotel in Chicago, IL. In addition to Phillip "ImperialHal" Dosen and Timothy "iiTzTimmy" An duking it out against other Apex Legends duos, the event features talent such as Laurice "GuhRL" Habibi, who traveled from Canada to provide live commentary and make the tournament unforgettable. As guests relax and enjoy Red Bull between rounds, esports.gg is chatting with them about the Red Bull Legends Inn's impact on the Chicago esports scene and more!

Among the crowd at Red Bull Legends Inn are attendees Daniel "GamerSentence" Amin and Joe "FlashStorm7" Malek. While GamerSentence is currently a Conduit player, FlashStorm7 is a Pathfinder main at heart who's forced to play Newcastle. Both of them are Chicago locals, and it was FlashStorm7 who discovered the event through an in-game banner and invited his friend to join him.

"It’s my first time going to an Apex event," GamerSentence told esports.gg. "I've always wanted to go to one of these. I'm always just watching streams, so it's nice to see them play in person and watch."

GamerSentence said that he was impressed on his walk to the venue as well, referring to the window lights illuminating the gaming rooms where duos are battling it out. For context, a duo’s room remains blue if they're still alive in the round.

"Honestly, totally not what I expected," FlashStorm7 added. "I thought it would be like a super ALGS format — the stadium kind — but it's a super laid back watch party. It's a really cool experience."

He continued, revealing that he'd love to see more LAN events in the city. To him, meeting people he and FlashStorm7 might match up with in the game is a great way to connect with others who share their interests and playstyles. Right now, they're a duo that could use a third.

“It’s an awesome way to just expand your network and talk to new people — maybe meet some new teammates.” he said, also noting that the unique format and character restrictions add to the Red Bull Legends Inn's appeal.

Elsewhere at the venue is John Lawall, who is the executive director of esports at Roosevelt University. He is very involved with his school's varsity esports program. In his interview with esports.gg, Lawall shared that the Chicago esports scene has a long-standing and vibrant presence with notable Red Bull events like Rise Till Dawn — once held on the 99th floor of the Willis Tower.

The city also hosts various gaming events through venues like the Ignite Gaming Lounge and has seen appearances by top players, including iiTzTimmy in the past and present.

"This event's been pretty great. It's amazing to see people like Timmy return," Lawall said. "And, you know, people like ImperialHal who's been at the front of Apex esports for essentially his whole career. Along with that, it's really cool to just kind of meet people in the industry. I'm catching up with a lot of people that I haven't seen in a long time. Just the fact that Red Bull is hosting another event where I can come and talk to people I know and meet new people is cool as well."

Lawall then noted how ImperialHal, iiTzTimmy, and Red Bull Gaming's approach to an interactive esports format is something unique that goes beyond simply watching teams play the game. As for parting words, he talked about his commitment to making the Chicago and collegiate esports scene both prosperous and profitable. This can be done by helping young students discover career paths within the esports industry.

"I've been working together with a lot of the other really cool institutions in Chicago to make sure that collegiate itself is a good stepping stone for young kids to the pro scene, as well as just kind of making sure that people can find opportunities within esports. Right now, it seems hard to get a job in esports. It seems like it's really daunting. You just have to be the best player in the world to get a job in it, but you can do so many things within esports."

That's all for now. Who are you rooting for at the Red Bull Legends Inn event? Stick around on esports.gg for more news, interviews, and updates!