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(Photo credit: Cody Dierickx).
They grew up in Miami and went to FIU together. Now business partners, Jonathan Ortiz (COO) and Cody Dierickx (CEO) along with their third partner Christian Valdez (IT) created a new hangout spot.
The Esports center is for gamers and spectators who want a cool atmosphere. ROK Esports Center is located at 15305 S. Dixie Hwy. in Palmetto Bay. They opened the venue after watching one of the first major Fortnite tournaments on discord and found themselves longing for the sports bar atmosphere you get when watching any high-level competition as a community.
They decided the esports fan demographic needed organized “watch parties” as opposed to current mainstream sports which always have been available no matter what sports bar visit. They want to be that place for people wanting to watch and potentially compete in high level esports. Their goal is to provide a safe, comfortable space for the gaming community to practice, compete and educate.
The ROK team says the industry is exploding.
“Playing video games can easily be the gateway into a space that employs thousands of game developers, artists, musicians, broadcast talent and production personnel to name just a few,” Ortiz said. “Many of these industry professionals began their love of gaming by simply being astounded with the mechanics of games like Super Mario Bros and Call of Duty.”
Like most industries, it all starts with a deep-rooted obsession with understanding how it all works.
ROK offers any game available to play on one of the PCs.
“While we may not have the game already downloaded, guests are welcome to download and play it as our computers wipe any and all personal data when they are restarted,” Ortiz said.
Don’t worry parents, you can play old school Galaga, Pac-Man and the other classics on original tube TV’s, if you are feeling nostalgic and enjoy beer or wine while you do. (Food in the café is in the works.)
Valorant has been the No. 1 game the and largest community to embrace the venue. ROK recently hosted a tournament that featured 11 local teams playing a full double elimination bracket on a single Sunday. Valorant’s success is a testament to ROK’s investment in creating a strong game and surrounding it with a legitimate broadcast and production that appeals to highly competitive gamers.
As a 5v5 strategy-based shooter, any mistake can flip a game on its head and change the momentum of your team. There is a desire attached to be the reason your team succeeds and deep shame when recognizing your mistakes are the reason your team lost. Being able to follow instructions and work together to destroy your opponent is a huge part of increased communication between members and a big part of why the community willingly gathers at ROK.
They recently had a promo video filmed in the venue thanks to Corsair and Origin PC. They flew in two Fortnite pros, Zemie and Tocata.
“They were amazing people to work with and meet; their talent for gaming was astounding to watch,” Ortiz said.
The easiest way to describe the difference for non-gamers, is like watching a golf or tennis pro in action. They make highly complex maneuvers look incredibly easy and seamless.
Anyone who’s grabbed a club or a racket can attest to how much work goes into making their movements look flawless.
Video games transitioned from being something that was done explicitly with your friends at arcades before the advent of reliable, in-home internet access. With technology, gaming became more and more isolated and less about the physical social aspects of going to an arcade to play with your friends. Most people tend to socialize the most over the internet through social media and video games. Now, gamers can socialize in person at the new Palmetto Bay hot spot waiting for you to get your game on.
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