ACG Arenas, a planned large-scale all-inclusive entertainment destination coming to Texas, has just launched a digital version of its concept ahead of the physical location’s debut. Called the Online Arena, the platform opens to the public today, allowing users to participate in virtual entertainment experiences and earn real-world rewards, and creating buzz for the brand in anticipation of its arrival.
Conceptualized in 2019, the ACG Arenas has been in the making for a while, and expects to open its flagship facility in Collin County in 2028. The Online Arena will bring elements of its planned immersive entertainment complex into people’s homes. It will allow players access to digital games like go-kart racing, laser tag, zip lining, and rock climbing — while earning prizes.
“Every once in a while, an opportunity to be a part of a legacy at its foundation comes around, and this is one of those opportunities,” ACG Arenas founder Andrew Costello told What Now in an exclusive interview.
In addition to giving customers an opportunity to engage with the concept before its planned physical attractions are built, the Online Arena will also illustrate demand to partners, investors, and vendors.
What initially shaped ACG Arenas was Andrew exploring ways to make airsoft more accessible to newcomers. He wanted to create a mission-based experience in which participants could choose their objectives, difficulty levels, and equipment before playing against the venue itself. Next, he decided to incorporate laser tag, drawing on his experience running a near-professional laser tag league in Utah.
The concept then continued to evolve, the idea eventually expanding to become a center with multiple attractions under one roof: airsoft, laser tag, go-karts, three styles of arcade, virtual reality, bowling, archery, axe throwing, mini golf, climbing, and obstacle courses. ACG Arenas will also include children’s activities, puzzle rooms, board game demonstrations, and a food court with three restaurants.
Rather than charging guests separately for each attraction, the venue will operate on an admission-based model that provides unlimited access to the facility for the day. There will also be a membership-based model and a substantial rewards system.
“The more you participate, the more your membership levels up and the more you have access to in the prize catalog,” Costello explained. “We’ve got typical arcade prizes, but we’ve also got prizes that can genuinely impact your life, like rent for a year, gas for a year, groceries for a year, a down payment on a house, or our top tier prize of $100,000.”
The brand is currently evaluating potential sites in Collin County and has narrowed its options to three locations, working with the respective municipalities. They hope to break ground by the end of the year, and construction is expected to take eight to nine months for the building shell and another four to six months to install attractions and prepare the facility for guests. The goal is to debut the flagship in Q1 2028.
Costello expects to hire between 350 and 400 employees for the venture. Most of the future workforce will be customer-facing staff, with other positions like team leads, general managers, specialty mechanics, and technicians.
ACG Arenas initially explored Southern California as its first location, before conducting a nationwide market study and finding that Texas ultimately emerged as a stronger fit for the concept. Costello and his wife moved to the area earlier this year to build relationships with local residents and businesses ahead of the proposed development.
“We wanted to be a community- and family-oriented place, and in all of our research, it pointed to Collin County being the right place to go,” Costello said.
The planned development is expected to create a network of local business partnerships through the company’s rewards program. Participating businesses could offer ACG members discounts and incentives on everyday purchases and services, ranging from restaurants and retail to insurance, home cleaning, landscaping, photography, dental care, and chiropractic services.
Costello describes the project as both his greatest challenge and one of the most rewarding experiences of his entrepreneurial career. He is fully committed to dedicating his life to the concept, much like he is dedicated to his faith, and has big plans to scale it.
“I truly believe that God put this venture on my heart, and so my intention over the next 40 years is to build 316 of them,” he explained, a nod to John 3:16 in the Bible. “It’s quite an ambitious goal, but if anybody can help me do it, it’s God. He’s steered me through every hardship and every up and down we’ve had so far.”
After fine-tuning operations of the flagship for about a year, the plan is to open a few more Texas locations in the years that follow, and then start spreading the brand in the Southeast.
“We can spread them out and still impact hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of people in our local areas,” Costello shared.
For now, the immediate milestone is the launch of the Online Arena on Nov. 1. New members can join the network for as little as $35 per month by visiting the site: Membership — ACG Arenas.
