Maze GmbH’s Esport Factory Levels Up with Blackmagic Design Live Production Workflow

From charity streams to multi studio events, discover the technology and creativity driving Europe’s top esports hub.

Operated by Maze GmbH, the Esport Factory is a unique hub for esports and gaming enthusiasts. From boot camps and LAN parties to high energy esports broadcasts, these purpose built facilities are all powered by Blackmagic Design, creating an ecosystem that is all about bringing gaming experiences to life.

“For us at Maze, Blackmagic technology has been fundamental to our success at the Esport Factory,” says Marvin Rohmann, CEO of Maze. “It allows us to design efficient workflows and deliver top notch productions across all our gaming and esports projects.”

The Esport Factory stands out as Europe’s first gaming facility equipped with dedicated studios and overnight accommodations. As an independent operator, Maze works with international brands and associations, giving them the agility to adapt to each client’s unique needs. “Our independence lets us craft personalized experiences for every client,” Rohmann adds.

Whether it’s helping brands tap into gaming for recruitment or crafting campaigns that resonate with audiences beyond the gaming world, Maze embraces creativity in everything it does. “We’re a young, passionate team within the gaming sector, and we love bringing creative ideas to life for our clients,” shares Rohmann.

Innovation and adaptability are central to Maze’s approach. “Our fully equipped control room has technology that’s permanently installed but adaptable to meet any client’s requirements,” explains Rohmann. “Effective signal distribution across our studios is crucial, especially for large scale productions where multiple spaces need to work seamlessly together. Blackmagic has been a key partner, enabling us to manage both the structural and technical demands of our facility.”

For live stream productions, Maze uses a combination of Blackmagic Design’s live production switchers, including the ATEM Constellation 8K, and Videohub routers managed with macros. This setup allows Maze to handle large scale events, such as the Friendly Fire charity Twitch stream, which this year alone reached more than 800,000 viewers and raised close to two million euros.

“We’ve hosted Friendly Fire for five years now, and it’s always a blast,” says Rohmann. “Seeing familiar faces like Pietsmiet, Gronkh, and even Twitch CEO Dan Clancy join us was truly rewarding.”

The challenge of managing a complex web of signals is part of the thrill of esports production. “When producing live streams that take place at multiple locations in our venue, it is crucial to coordinate the large number of signals sensibly, efficiently, and, above all, reliably,” he explains.

This complexity extends beyond just live streams. “We often use screens in our stage designs to create branding elements or a specific look and feel. For these setups, we rely on the AUX output on the ATEM video mixer or the output of another mixer level. These signals are then processed using several routers connected in series and distributed to their respective destinations,” notes Rohmann.

Similarly, the production team is tasked with integrating multiple video feeds seamlessly, including cameras from the caster set, an analysis studio, the stage, plus facecams alongside game content, all of which needs to work in harmony. “We rely on an array of Blackmagic hardware, from the Micro Studio Camera 4K G2 for capture to the Smart Videohub CleanSwitch 12×12 and MultiView 16, which let us decide which signals to send to the vision mixer at any given moment,” Rohmann concludes.