Sat, February 7, 2026 at 7:02 PM UTC
Editor’s Note: Previous coverage from KXAN over a gaming event held at the Moody Center last June.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — European company Friendly Fire announced Friday it planned to expand its gaming cafes to various cities in the Lone Star State, including Austin.
“The focus on Texas is due to the state’s booming population, dynamic esports scene, and high demand for community-driven entertainment experiences.” Friendly Fire said in a press release.
The company said it currently has 20 cafes across Europe and several more locations in development in places such as the United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium and more.
Dallas, Houston and San Antonio were also planned gaming cafe locations. Friendly Fire said it planned to open at least five cafes in each market.
This isn’t the first time Austin has been seen as a hub for gaming. Last June, BLAST.tv hosted an international Counter-Strike competition that saw a total of 40,000 attendees over the four-day event.
Friendly Fire did not provide a timeline for when a gaming cafe location would open in Austin.
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