GEORGIA iNSIDER — “Today, gaming is in every man’s hand.”

There are over 3 billion gamers worldwide, and from May 15-17 about 60,000 of those gaming fanatics will convene at the Georgia World Congress Center for the largest-ever DreamHack festival hosted by ESL FACEIT Group.

It will transform downtown Atlanta into the ultimate gamer haven.

Esports competitors, casual gamers and streamer fans will be able to take part in the festival. It will feature tournaments, an artist alley, developer displays, streamer meetups, cosplay, free play and several major competitions with high-dollar prizes.

Gone are the days of gaming as a niche community or “nerdy” culture. ESL FACEIT Group Festival Director Kalle Pilfak said when the festival began in Sweden in 1994, there was a drastically different digital landscape.

“It was about internet culture, which back then was something that was kind of related to basement dwellers and nerds, you know?” Pilfak said.

Things are different today. According to Pilfak, games are in “every man’s hand.” In 2025 alone the video game market generated roughly $189 billion in revenue, according to the Global Games Market Report. Meanwhile, esports is projected to reach a $7.46 billion market by 2030.

“It’s booming, but it’s booming in a sustainable way,” Pilfak said.