Imperium e-Sports Bar and Video Game Lounge: For Gamers, By Gamers

When in Manila, gamers everywhere should take notice of the newest video game place in town: the Imperium e-Sports Bar and Video Game Lounge at Metrowalk along Meralco Avenue. It isn’t just any video game rental place. Established by Raphael Gancayco with the clear-cut vision of promoting e-sports in the Philippines, this place will certainly redefine how you perceive late-night gaming sessions with your friends.

The place looks like a room from outer space with its blue neon lighting and a multitude of screens. Loud bass-thumping music gets your head nodding, your feet tapping, and your hands ready to mash on buttons. The next thing you might notice is the eye-popping amount of alcoholic beverages in display. The staff greet you with welcoming smiles and menus that seemingly look like Xbox 360 disc cases before you see the items listed inside.

Disc case? No, this is their menu.

And of course, the video games.

Tekken Tag, Super Smash Bros, Killzone Shadowfall and AC: Black Flag—just a few of the bar’s selection of games

The Imperium e-Sports Bar is proud to have every major console on their shelves, from the PS3 to the Xbox 360 to the Wii U to the PC, and of course, the motherlode: the PS4 and Xbox One. Yes, you read that right. They have the newest generation of video game consoles.

“This place is the swiss-army knife of gaming” says Gancayco. Whether you’re planning to test out either PS4 or Xbox One, or you’re just eager to have a first go at the next gen systems, this place is for you. The games on their list are primarily catered to competitive games such as Street Fighter x Tekken, Tekken Tag, Injustice, FIFA 14, NBA 2K14, and the like; perfect for a night out with friends, no matter what the skill level.

For the hardcore and competitive type, the Imperium e-Sports Bar houses 14 top-of-the-line PCs with hugely-competitive games like DotA 2 and League of Legends installed.

Perfect for intense (perhaps alcohol-fueled) LAN parties

This place is not called an e-sports bar for nothing; the Imperium experience is never complete without liquor and some food. The feeling of having a bottle of below-zero beer in one hand and a controller in another is something you have got to try out. While chatting with the owner, Mr Gancayco, we joked about how alcohol can raise the skill level of any gamer. “Liquid luck,” I say. “Liquid skill, you mean,” he corrects in jest.

Apart from the standard liquor, Imperium e-Sports Bar offers concoctions with a variety of cool and witty video game-related names. For example, the drink we got to try out was the LA Noire , which, according to the menu, is a “Black Russian darkened by Cerveza Negre.” That’s a whole lotta darkness right there in one drink; nonetheless, it tasted wonderful!

Other clever names include the Captain Price (Lots of whiskey), Shirley Templar (gin, Sprite, and grenadine), Master Chief Mojito, and many more. Imperium e-Sports Bar also boasts their Yellowhammer, the signature drink of the University of Alabama, Gancayco’s alma mater. There is also a variety of food to accompany the alcohol, from Quesadillas to rice meals to Gancayco’s personal favorite, the Grilled Kesong Puti Sandwich. (The full menu can also be found on their fanpage.)

Games, atmosphere, alcohol, food—that may seem like the end of it, but there’s more to Imperium e-Sports Bar than just those four factors. The owner, Raphael Gancayco, knows what his gaming customers want because he himself is a huge gamer. He’s not just some rich businessman who chooses to invest on a video game rental place, he actually has played a lot of video games growing up and now wants to contribute to the gaming community of the Philippines by providing them a place to hold their training sessions or maybe even some tournaments in the near future. The passion is there and “with a push, Filipinos can be one of the big guns in the world of competitive gaming or e-sports.”

Owner Raphael Gancayco is a gamer-at-heart.

The Imperium e-Sports Bar and Video Game Lounge certainly is the swiss-army knife of gaming here in the Philippines. This is a place to go for casual and hardcore gamers alike. Even non-gamers may just turn into one after paying a visit. If you are a gamer, do visit the Imperium e-Sports Bar for a gaming experience like no other When in Manila.