Major League Gaming today announced the creation of a new MLG Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The company calls the Arena a "state of the art" venue that will play host to tournaments and activities all year long. The MLG.tv Columbus Arena bolsters MLG's worldwide championship presence, adding to the MLG Studio in New York City and the in-development MLG Stadium in China, which is scheduled to open sometime in 2017.

　　The new Arena's first event will be the MLG Call of Duty: Ghosts Pro League Season 3 Playoffs, which run October 24-26. Eight Call of Duty teams will duke it out for $75,000 in prizes; the first-place team will take home $30,000. Spectator passes go on sale this Friday, September 26, through the MLG online store.

　　MLG's new Arena in Columbus is a 14,000 square foot venue that promises to deliver 'the same exciting experience" as a MLG Pro Circuit event, but in a "more intimate setting." The Arena features bleacher seating capable of suppporting "hundreds" of people, as well as soundproof booths for players, a broadcast platform for live commentary, video screens that broadcase the competition, and even warm-up areas for players.

　　When the Call of Duty: Ghosts tournament wraps up, MLG will use the new Arena in Columbus to host other events (these will be announced "soon"), while the space will also be used as a "backdrop for MLG.tv programming set in a LIVE show environment."

　　"MLG's mission is to promote eSports globally through premier competition and to deliver premium gaming content to viewers anytime, anywhere through our global streaming platform--MLG.tv," MLG co-founder and CEO Sundance DiGiovanni said in a statement. "With the MLG Columbus Arena, we now have a flagship venue built to showcase the best as we continue to expand our global footprint."

　　MLG Properties EVP Adam Apicella said Columbus is a great destination for a new MLG Arena due in part to the fact that there are more than 60 colleges in the region. "Hundreds of thousands" of university and high school students live in the area, and Columbus is close to the United States' east coast, a major market for MLG.

　　Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch