Big John Welcomes Punters to Hackney’s First-ever ESports Pub, The Phoenix Arms, in the lead up to Valorant Masters Finals

Riot Games unveils The Phoenix Arms, a first-of-its-kind esports pub experience open for one weekend only ahead of VALORANT Masters London Finals. 

Launching for finals weekend from 19–21st June, landlord Big John opens the doors to The Phoenix Arms, a free-entry esports pub at Hackney Bridge in East London. Inspired by the atmosphere of a quintessential British matchday pub, the venue will feature team flags, themed memorabilia, custom pub signage and live match screenings, giving fans a place to support their favourite teams, debate predictions and celebrate the biggest moments of VALORANT Masters London. 

The tournament began on Saturday 6th and runs through to Sunday 21st June, marking the first time an international VALORANT tournament has been hosted in the UK. Millions are expected to watch live online via VALORANT Twitch / YouTube channels, with tens-of-thousands of fans set to head down across the competition at the Copper Box Arena, home to Baller League UK and where LeBron James and Kevin Durant won Olympic gold in 2012. 

Beyond The Phoenix Arms, Hackney Bridge will host the free VALORANT Fan Fest, featuring live podcasts, creator appearances, team activations, community experiences, Artist Alley and an open-air watch party throughout finals weekend. 

The Phoenix Arms, hosted at Fan Fest, Hackney Bridge is free to attend all weekend. More info can be found here. 

Since launching in 2020, VALORANT has become one of the world’s fastest-growing competitive gaming titles. The free-to-play 5v5 first-person shooter blends precise gunplay with unique character abilities, a technicolour game aesthetic, and has over 35 million players globally. Its global esports circuit, the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), sees the world’s top teams compete across the Americas, EMEA, Pacific and China, attracting millions of fans worldwide. In 2025 alone, Riot Games shared more than $100 million with VCT teams through its esports ecosystem, while more than 28 million viewers tuned in online to watch VALORANT Champions Paris, highlighting the scale and excitement surrounding competitive VALORANT around the world. 

This June, the circuit came to London, with 12 of the world’s best teams qualifying to compete and turn East London into a truly out-of-this-world matchday experience for fans in the UK.

Representing EMEA were Team Heretics, which included British player Benjyfishy, Team Vitality and FUT Esports, while the Pacific region was represented by Paper Rex, FULL SENSE and Global Esports. From the Americas, G2 Esports, Leviatán and NRG competed, alongside China’s EDward Gaming, Xi Lai Gaming and Dragon Ranger Gaming. Now, only four teams remain: Paper Rex, Leviatán, EDward Gaming and Team Vitality, who will battle it out during Finals Weekend for the VALORANT Masters London crown. 

London hosting VALORANT Masters places the competition firmly alongside a landmark summer of global sport, with the FIFA World Cup, Wimbledon and the F1 British Grand Prix all on the calendar. With millions of fans following teams, rivalries and storylines around the world, VALORANT Masters reflects the same energy and fan culture driving some of the world’s biggest sporting events.

The announcement follows last month’s release of the VALORANT Masters London cinematic video featuring Che Lingo’s new single, Chaos in the House, via the official VALORANT YouTube channel HERE. The track is available now across all DSPs on Valorantffm.