This post was updated Oct. 5 at 9:48 p.m.

The Bruins Esports & Gaming Lounge opened in Ackerman Union on Tuesday to positive reactions from students.

The gaming lounge – located on the building’s A-Level and overseen by UCLA Recreation – contains 30 gaming desktops and consoles open to the general public, said Sunny Yen, the lounge’s facility manager. He added that people can access the space for $6 per hour, purchase an all-day pass for $35 or a quarterly pass for $240.

The space previously housed the Bruin Fun Zone, which was introduced in 2022 as a recreational area with arcade machines, table tennis, foosball and board games.

[Related: Esports lounge to replace Bruin Fun Zone in Ackerman Union]

Alienware, a gaming computer brand under Dell, contributed a “significant amount of money” for the lounge’s completion and equipment – including monitors and desktop accessories, Yen said.

Erinn McMahan, the executive director of UCLA Recreation, said it used its revenue from renting out spaces – as well as its sponsorship program – to fund the lounge’s construction.

Ethan-Edmund De Leon, a first-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student, said he believes the price range for the quarterly pass is reasonable because games can sometimes cost up to $60 each. However, he added that because there is a free-access gaming lounge located in Rieber Hall called Eclipse, an additional space might be unnecessary.

“If that one’s already free, and it comes with console plus PC games, maybe it might be a little bit unnecessary to open up a second one,” De Leon said. “Because there’s already that free access, or if people don’t really want to pay for it, or pay for a day pass or an hourly fee – the one in Rieber is probably the best one.”

For students who are “serious” gamers, however, the lounge could provide a more isolated and private space, De Leon added.

Michael Dea, a second-year psychology student, said the gaming lounge’s central location is accessible, as students do not have to walk to the Hill from campus if they want to wind down in between classes. Dea, who is a coordinator for the student esports team, added that he believes the price range makes sense because the lounge was implemented in collaboration with an external company.

Yen said Residential Life also plans to use the gaming lounge as a classroom for electives related to game development or engineering. McMahan added that he hopes the lounge can help students practice new skills and even learn about careers in the gaming industry.

“We felt it was important that we provide a space where students can come in and take the stress off a little bit, even if it’s for a couple of hours, doing something that they love,” Yen said.