JQ’s Escape Live has invested £30,000 as it expands its offer to visitors.
Escape Live launched in the city in 2014 and now boasts a range of experiences including the city’s only licensed Peaky Blinders escape rooms.
It recently rose to be ranked number one for things to do in Birmingham on Tripadvisor and is now partnering with games company Ubisoft to launch a new VR Arena at its Jewellery Quarter venue.
The arena includes eight games – including spin-offs based on the global hit Assassin’s Creed – and will offer players the chance to walk around a virtual location but also interact with real-life objects, finding clues and solving puzzles.
It is the latest innovation from Escape Live, which has venues in Chelmsford, Coventry, Liverpool, Southend-on-Sea and Stratford-upon-Avon.
Jas Sodhi, managing director at Escape Live, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be the number one venue in Birmingham and this latest investment and innovation means we will be moving to another level.
“From day one, we’ve looked to be the best in class when it comes to escape experiences and partnering with the likes of Endemol Shine Group and Caryn Mandabach Productions to bring authentic Peaky Blinders themed rooms to the region is an example of that.
“When the opportunity came up to work with Ubisoft, we jumped at the chance. We wanted to offer VR experiences to our visitors and we wanted them to be of the highest quality and entertainment.
“By adding this to our offer, it makes Escape Live in Birmingham an even bigger attraction to local people and visitors into the city.”
Escape Live began its life in Birmingham in 2014, when John Dalziel and Jas Sodhi established the very first escape room, made up of two rooms with three staff.
Now, as well as Peaky Blinders rooms it includes a range of uniquely themed exciting experiences – including saving the world from a contagious outbreak in ‘The Lab’ or travelling through space and time to fix the Flux X-01 in ‘Time Machine’.