The world’s first-ever, tech-led active, group gaming attraction that launched in Canada in 2017 has chosen London’s The O2 for its European launch and will be opening its doors on 16 December.

Already a sensation in North America with 32 successful locations across Canada and the US and social media channels with more than 750 million views, Activate will be inviting thrill seekers and lovers of competitive socialising to jump, climb, and problem-solve in 12 real-time interactive game rooms, promising a high-energy, adrenaline-fuelled adventure suitable for all ages.

Groups of between two and five active gamers can take on nine games*. These include Strike, Portals, Control, Press, Hide, Laser, Grid, Mega Grid and Hoops.

Each group selects the room they want to start in, chooses from the variety of high-tech games, picks their difficulty – levels range from 1-10, unlocking them as they beat them until the time runs out on the game.

Each competitive activity takes around 1-3 minutes to complete, and each member of a group is given an electronic wristband that tracks their progress so they can rack up points, advance through the levels and win a range of Activate-branded gear, as they become more skilful and build up their points, and gain the reputation as the best in a group.

Hide, for example, is a reimagined game of hide and seek, where a team must race around the room to complete sequences. But there are four glowing eyes watching the team’s every move, waiting for a misstep so they must make sure to use the pillars to conceal themselves as they complete each level sight unseen. The key to success with this activity is communication, strategy and speed.

Trench is Activate’s take on tactical laser tag, minus the bulky vest and human targets. Trench is a triple-threat treat, featuring a laser maze, glowing targets, and beam blasters. Groups have to accurately shoot targets on the opposite wall then quickly army crawl through the laser beams below to victory. Speed, precision and agility are the keys to success with Trench.

Meanwhile, Mega Grid offers more than 500 touch-sensitive LED floor tiles and light-up wall buttons that require a combination of speed, hand-eye coordination and communication. As the floor tiles come to life, the objective is to step on or avoid certain ones to complete the level. The keys to success with Mega Grid are fancy hand and foot work, agility and multi-tasking.

Activate will cover 10,000 sq ft on the upper level of The O2, a stone’s throw away from Outlet Shopping at The O2, and popular attractions such as Mamma Mia! The Party. It is being brought to the UK by We Do Play, leading experiential leisure group and the company that launched the hugely successful entertainment experiences, including Flip Out indoor adventure parks and Putt Putt Social and founded the Boom Battle Bar brand.

Richard Beese, co-founder of We Do Play, expressed his excitement about setting the 16 December as the date for the European launch of Activate. He said: “Activate in the UK is going to take the world of competitive socialising by storm. There is nothing else like it. It is going to redefine the entertainment industry in the UK.

“Activate brings together interactive technology, agility, physical ability and problem-solving in 12 dynamic rooms with wristbands tracking gamers progress to declare an ultimate winner who will leave The O2 with a bunch of prizes. There are actually 1,000 levels to beat, and gamers can also take part in the Activate World Championship. Activate is going to be an adrenaline-filled, epic adventure.

“And there is no finer venue in the land than The O2 to launch Activate. We know from our launch of Boom Battle Bar that The O2 is a fabulous location, so Activate will be the perfect addition.

“And watch this space for an aggressive rollout of Activate across the UK, with a target of opening a minimum of 30 sites by 2028. Exciting times ahead for Activate that is set to revolutionise the competitive socialising space.”

Janine Constantin-Russell, Managing Director of the Entertainment District and Outlet Shopping at The O2 added: “We can’t wait to open the doors at Activate later this month as their debut UK location, and bring their unique interactive games to our visitors. We’re confident that it will be a fantastic addition to our extensive leisure offering here at The O2 , offering visitors even more choice under one iconic roof.”

Bookings go live for Activate on 4 December with the venue launching at 4pm on 16 December. Prices are £22.50 per person off peak and £27.50 per person peak (weekends, school holidays and term time from 5pm on Fridays) for 60-minute sessions with groups between two and five people. The minimum age to participate in Activate is 6 years old. Activate games are designed for adults and may be challenging for children under 10 years. An adult must be present at the facility throughout the entire gaming experience for children between 6 and 13 years old.