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Dreamhack Winter 2023 is just a few days away, and while fans of the epic annual event will no doubt expect to see much of the same in J\u00f6nk\u00f6ping, Sweden, things have changed a little.<\/p>\n
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Dreamhack’s Vice President of Festivals, Shahin Zarrabi, explained how the festival, LAN, event, etc, has improved this year.<\/p>\n
“We’ve reorganised the layout and flow of the floor,” he explained over Zoom. “You’ll see all the esports in one hall; our main stage has a lot of music and cosplay; then you’ll see the biggest expo that Dreamhack hosts – anywhere in the world.”<\/p>\n
He boasted various “brands, developers and hardware creators” will be showing off their “latest and best” exclusively at Dreamhack Winter this weekend.<\/p>\n
“And, of course,” he added. “The best, in hall D, the last of our halls, is our big LAN.” Yes, once again, the enormous, world-renowned LAN (Local Area Network) event kicks off again in Sweden this weekend, where gamers from around the world will get together with their PCs to play together, compete, and have a good time.<\/p>\n
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Shahin explained that 2023 is Dreamhack’s 20th year in J\u00f6nk\u00f6ping, and, in the past, they’ve struggled to try “anything new”. “It’s mostly looked the same and felt the same,” he confessed. “We haven’t really experimented with – other than the actual content we bring – how we can make it feel more memorable, more theme-park vibe. Something that you’ll remember, not just because of the person you see on stage.”<\/p>\n
With that said, things are different this time around: “I’m confident that it’ll be great, and that we will take a lot of learning from it as well.”<\/p>\n
While looking after Dreamhack is a “job” for Shahin, it was obvious he has an actual passion for bringing countless attendees to Sweden each year.<\/p>\n
“As gaming is becoming more and more mainstream [Dreamhack] just becomes a natural place for you as a gamer to come and express yourself,” he explained. “And be yourself. For me, it’s never the fact that we did anything… we just created something for gamers a long time ago and committed. And now, as gaming has grown out of its infancy, we’re keeping on doing the same thing, creating a safe space for gamers.”<\/p>\n
Dreamhack promises to be a safe space for gamers; a sanctuary for them to let loose and be themselves, but with political unrest around the world, Shahin also assured attendees that the convention will be a truly safe space all weekend, as well.<\/p>\n
He said: “I can’t go into specifics, [but] we have invested more in security this year for Dreamhack Winter.”<\/p>\n
Looking forward to next year’s editions of Dreamhack, Shahin was tight-lipped about what events, celebrities, and deals fans can expect.<\/p>\n
However, he did have some hints for what he hopes to bring to the table: “Bigger, better and more varied.”<\/p>\n
Dreamhack Winter kicks off Thursday, November 23 and runs until Sunday, November 26. Get tickets here.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n