A new type of ‘cosplay cafe’ could open in Newcastle if it secures enough investment on Kickstarter.
Project Arcadium is billing itself as the UK’s first cosplay and gaming cafe on its Kickstarter page, where it’s seeking £20,000.
It’s the brainchild of UK cosplayer Sophie Stephenson (pictured).
“There is only one gaming cafe that is big in the UK, and they are only offering the gaming side of things,” she told Chronicle Live.
“But you find if people are into the gaming side, they are into cosplay. What I want to create is an environment where both come together.”
There are three main sections Arcadium is focusing on. Firstly, a ‘gamer’s paradise’, where players are able to game against each other.
If the crowdfunding is successful, there will be 12 gaming PCs in the store. It also hopes to host various esports viewing parties including League of Legends finals.
Secondly, there’s the cosplay cafe. Waiters and waitresses will be dressed up as game characters as they bring customers their food and drink, plus the PCs will have special ‘protective cases’ around them, meaning accidental spills won’t be a problem.
Thirdly, there’s the armoury, where customers can commission a cosplay crafter to create accessories, weapons, armour and outfits. Customers will be able to watch as their custom piece of gear is crafted.
A statement on the Arcadium Kickstarter page read: “It will be a new social setting for people in the North East of England that offers more than just figurines, TCGs and other game/anime-based paraphernalia.
“We aim to provide a response to the increase in demand for PC gaming and related esports games.”
The Arcadium project has raised £381 on Kickstarter so far and has until July 19th to reach the £20,000 goal.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
