Editing DreamHack

{{Short description|Swedish production company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = DreamHack
| logo = Dreamhack Logo 2024.svg
| logo_size = 250px
| type = 
| traded_as = 
| foundation = {{start date and age|1994}}
| founder = {{unbulleted list|Kenny Eklund|Martin Öjes|}}
| location = [[Hägersten]], [[Stockholm]], Sweden
| key_people = 
| industry = [[Show business|Entertainment]]
| products = [[Esports]] tournaments<br>[[Gaming convention]]
| parent = [[ESL (company)|ESL Gaming]]
| website = {{url|dreamhack.com}}
}}
'''DreamHack''' is an [[ESL (company)|ESL Gaming]] brand specializing in [[esports]] tournaments and other [[gaming convention]]s. It is recognized by [[Guinness World Records|''Guiness World Records'']] and [[Twin Galaxies]] as being the world's largest [[LAN party]] and [[computer]] festival with the world's fastest [[Internet connection]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Com Hem wins Guinness World Record title for 1.6 Tbps internet at DreamHack Summer|url=https://www.telecompaper.com/news/com-hem-wins-guinness-world-record-title-for-16-tbps-internet-at-dreamhack-summer--1278543|access-date=2021-09-02|website=www.telecompaper.com|language=en}}</ref> and the most generated [[Internet traffic|traffic]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-11-27|title=Dreamhack 2019 Explained|url=https://americanesports.net/blog/dreamhack-2019-explained/|access-date=2021-09-02|website=American Esports|language=en-US}}</ref> It usually holds its events in [[Western Europe]] and [[North America]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.mymetmedia.com/the-metropolitan/dreamhack-esports-denver/|title=Dreamhack brings eSports to Denver|date=2017-10-25|work=My Met Media|access-date=2017-11-14|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Events summary==
DreamHack's events include [[local area network]] gatherings with [[concert|live concerts]] and competitions in [[digital art]] and [[esports]]. The first event was held in [[Malung]], Sweden.<ref>{{Cite web|title=DreamHack announces 2020 World Tour schedule – festival to visit 10 cities in Europe, North America, and Asia|url=https://news.cision.com/dreamhack/r/dreamhack-announces-2020-world-tour-schedule---festival-to-visit-10-cities-in-europe--north-america-,c2986386|access-date=2021-09-02|website=News Powered by Cision|language=en}}</ref> The company has held several gaming events throughout Europe, in [[Stockholm]], [[Jönköping]], [[Tours]], [[Bucharest]], [[Cluj]], [[Valencia]], [[Seville]], [[London]], and [[Leipzig]]. In May 2016, it held its first North American event in [[Austin, Texas]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-03-22|title=DreamHack Austin: First Event in North America|url=https://girlsongames.ca/2016/03/22/dreamhack-austin-first-event-in-north-america/|access-date=2021-09-02|website=Girls on Games|language=en-CA}}</ref> In August 2016, it held its first Canada event in [[Montreal]], Quebec.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tsn.ca/dreamhack-montreal-scheduled-for-august-1.466346|title=DreamHack Montreal scheduled for August|author=Andrew Robichaud|date=7 April 2016|publisher=TSN|access-date=14 April 2016}}</ref> Winter events consistently have about 10% more visitors than summer events.

[[Attendance|Attendees]] range from [[elementary school]] students to [[Senior Citizens|senior citizens]]. The average age is 16–17.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-29|title=Dreamhack in Sweden: The World's Largest Digital Event|url=https://www.slowtravelstockholm.com/off-the-beaten-track/dreamhack-in-sweden-the-worlds-largest-digital-event/|access-date=2021-09-02|website=Slow Travel Stockholm|language=en-US}}</ref>

The event has five major components:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Component
! Description
|-
| '''Festival'''
| Every seated participant gets a table (60&nbsp;cm deep and 83&nbsp;cm wide), a chair, a power socket and a LAN socket.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Freddy|date=2021-08-11|title=Dreamhack Fortnite Register |url=https://www.seminarsonly.com/news/dreamhack-fortnite-register-https-dreamhack-com-sign-up/|access-date=2021-09-02|website=Seminarsonly|language=en-US}}</ref> Participants bring their own equipment of choice, usually a display or TV and a computer or console. Some bring their own office chairs to substitute the ones supplied. Since there is activity around the clock, participants can sleep in the adjacent sleeping halls, for which they bring their own sleeping equipment.
|-
| '''Gaming competitions'''
| With a total prize pool of over 3 million [[Swedish krona|SEK]], the DreamHack [[esports]] competitions attract professional players from all over the world. About one hundred different video streams are broadcast over the Internet, mostly covering the esports competitions. 21 of them are produced by DreamHack crew, the rest are independent and include [[Sveriges Television|Swedish national TV]]
|-
| '''Digital arts competitions'''
| In the DreamHack Kreativ competition participants compete in creating all things digital, including [[photograph]]s, [[drawing]]s, [[music]], [[3D models|3D-models]], [[Demoscene|demos]], games, [[animation]]s and [[movies]]. Some participants spend the entire event producing creative works, such as a movie or piece of music. During final ceremony, all submissions are presented on the main stage.
|-
| '''Live concerts'''
| Musical festivals are held every evening and night. This aspect of DreamHack has increased dramatically in popularity and is a major factor in the rise in sale of [[Day pass|daypasses]]. The stage is set up with lasers, lights and professional video broadcasting equipment.
|-
| '''Expo'''
| Many companies present their products in the expo area and it is common for big game development studios to allow visitors to play the games currently under development. There are also various seminars and lectures, as well as a shop selling computer equipment.
|-
| '''The Dreamies'''
| A yearly award show introduced in 2020, where a jury gives awards to the best games, most compelling characters, best eSports teams, and content creators in multiple categories.
|}

DreamHack events are arranged with the help of about 800 [[volunteers]], set up in "Crew Teams", who work in shifts to provide around-the-clock services for visitors. A support crew has a [[Help desk|helpdesk]] where participants can address technical problems. The festival also relies on local [[police]] and [[security officers]] who patrol the area.

==History==
[[Image:Winter 2004 DreamHack LAN Party.jpg|right|thumb|290px|Computer screens illuminated at DreamHack Winter 2004]]

Dreamhack began as a small gathering of schoolmates and friends in the basement of an elementary school in Malung, Sweden, in the early 1990s. In 1994, it was moved to the school [[cafeteria]] and became one of the larger regional demo tech and gaming events at the time. This event was also the first to be called DreamHack.

In 1997, the event took place at Arena Kupolen in [[Borlänge]] and became the largest LAN party of Sweden and the third largest party in [[Scandinavia]] at the time. Furthermore, DreamHack 2001 and the upcoming events were held at the [[Elmia]] exhibition centre in [[Jönköping]], where it has been since until the last Dreamhack Jönköping, both Winter and Summer, where held in 2024, after 30 years in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nyheter |first=S. V. T. |date=2024-09-03 |title=Dreamhack lämnar Jönköping |url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/jonkoping/dreamhack-lamnar-jonkoping |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=SVT Nyheter |language=sv}}</ref>

In 2002, DreamHack had events twice a year. Initially, DreamHack Summer in June was focused on computer games, and DreamHack Winter was more focused on computer program demos and was held during the last weekend of November. Today, the focus of summer and winter is same.

In 2011, DreamHack AB went through a corporate reform, renewing the company administration.

DreamHack winter 2011 hosted League of Legends season 1 World Championship. The next year's [[League of Legends World Championship]] was held independently.

It was announced on November 15, 2012, that DreamHack would be partnering with [[Major League Gaming]] (MLG) and [[Electronic Sports League]] (ESL) to help facilitate the growth and development of the North American and European [[esports]] scene. These partnerships included universal rankings, unified competition structures, and more.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tach|first=Dave|date=2012-11-15|title=MLG, Dreamhack and ESL partnership aims to unify global eSports|url=https://www.polygon.com/2012/11/15/3651360/mlg-dreamhack-and-esl-partnership-aims-to-unify-global-esports|access-date=2021-09-02|website=Polygon|language=en}}</ref>

In 2013, DreamHack AB grew into a corporation. Later they added a third event during the late summer in Stockholm. It was hosted at Globe Arenas in 2014.

In November 2015, Modern Times Group bought DreamHack for 244 million [[Swedish krona]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-11-12|title=Modern Times Group is at it again, this time acquiring Dreamhack|url=https://www.criticalhit.net/gaming/modern-times-group-is-at-it-again-this-time-acquiring-dreamhack/|access-date=2021-09-02|website=Critical Hit|language=en-GB}}</ref>

In response to the increasing visibility of older gamers, in June 2019 DreamHack hosted the first senior World Cup for [[Counter-Strike|Counter Strike]].<ref name="He">{{Cite book |last=He |first=Keren |title=Games & Play in Chinese & Sinophone Cultures |last2=Eyman |first2=Douglas |last3=Sun |first3=Hongmei |date=2024 |publisher=[[University of Washington Press]] |isbn=9780295752402 |editor-last=Guo |editor-first=Li |location=Seattle, WA |pages=193 |chapter=Gaming while Aging: TheLudification of Later Life in Pokémon Go |editor-last2=Eyman |editor-first2=Douglas |editor-last3=Sun |editor-first3=Hongmei}}</ref>

In 2020, on the 30th of September, ESL announced that it had merged with DreamHack. The two companies are functioning as one, but the two brands are operated separately.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-10-01|title=ESL, DreamHack merge; brands to remain separate|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/esports-business-dreamhack-esl-merge-idUSFLM3pGR49|access-date=2021-09-02}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://dreamhack.com/ Official website]

{{Video Game Trade Shows}}

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{{Esports competitions}}
{{Fighting game community}}
{{Modern Times Group}}
{{Professional Counter-Strike competition}}
{{Professional League of Legends competition}}
{{Professional StarCraft II competition}}
{{Competitive Super Smash Bros.}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dreamhack}}
[[Category:DreamHack| ]]
[[Category:Modern Times Group]]
[[Category:1990s establishments in Sweden]]