Fortress Melbourne, the massive, multi-storey gaming bar on Caledonian Lane, is expanding. Fortress Sydney will drop a new, similarly gigantic mega-bar into the heart of the NSW capital.
The mere existence of a Fortress Sydney is remarkable. Opening its doors only a week before Melbourne entered its second major COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Fortress Melbourne has had to fight to survive every single day of its life to date. Throughout 2021, it would reopen in fits and spurts as restrictions waxed and waned. Each new lockdown dealt a harsh blow to its community-building efforts.
Fortress Melbourne contains multitudes. Inside, there is a tabletop area and fantasy tavern, bars, an esports arena, a LAN lounge decked out with high-end gaming PCs, streamer pods for creators looking to broadcast remotely, and a classic arcade. This is split over two levels of the Emporium Melbourne building on Swanston St.
For a venue of its size, the bill to even switch the lights on must be eyewatering, let alone what it must be paying to rent that much floor space in the CBD. That Fortress not only survived the lockdowns but is now opening a second location in an even more expensive city is a testament to its resilience. Fortress by name, Fortress by nature, it would seem.
Where is it in Sydney though?
The announcement was a simple one, appearing on social media last night.
introducing… @FortressSydney pic.twitter.com/6sTJ8axLGf
— Fortress Melbourne (@FortressMelb) February 23, 2022
The address, as listed on the Fortress Sydney Twitter profile, is 28 Broadway in Chippendale. That’s right across the road from the University of Technology Sydney, and a short walk from Central station. Fortress Sydney doesn’t have a confirmed opening date just yet, but you can sign up to hear more at the official website. It’s worth noting that the Sydney page suggests the new venue will be the “largest games venue of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere,” a title already held by the Melbourne venue.
Could Sydney be bigger again? Is that possible? Time’s gonna tell.
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