Tactical Urban Combat Opens at the Mall of America

In late December, Tactical Urban Combat opened in an expansive space on the experiential third floor of the Mall of America formerly occupied by Best Buy. The company’s first location in Eden Prairie, which opened in 2017, took the notion of the backyard Nerf battle to the next level, providing a space where you can test your skills against friends, neighbors, or the random stranger—a seemingly safer alternative to paintball that you or your kids can enjoy without the mess or marks left behind. The Mall of America location now adds a new option to Tactical Urban Combat’s arsenal: laser tag.

Outside the Mall of America location. Zach Alt

The new space is nine times the size of the one in Eden Prairie. Although I didn’t get a chance to participate in either Nerf or laser tag myself, the latter experience looks to be unique, as it simulates some Call of Duty features: you can swap out your primary weapon for sniper rifles and rocket launchers, bandage up your teammates, and get kill-streak upgrades like calling in a helicopter for backup. The company chose the Mall of America space both for its size and to be a part of the mall’s repositioning effort to become a more “experience-first” location, an endeavor that has done well for the mall to date.

A view of the battleground. Zach Alt

The new laser tag is perhaps the most interesting draw of the new location. The user is in for a more complex and video-game-like experience than is available elsewhere, especially with the aforementioned gun swapping and midgame upgrades. There is also a more complex targeting system, which requires players to make either a head or gun shot to score points. Each gun comes with a red dot sight to facilitate this slightly more challenging experience.

Tactical Urban Combat’s clientele tends to fall mainly in the age range of 12 to 35, with many of those being adult players bringing younger players. The new space is seemingly a great location for a birthday party, as it’s very large, open, and accommodating for large groups—the Nerf and laser-tag areas each host up to 30 people per session, though the company’s website notes 18 to 24 is the “sweet spot.” Open-session play starts at $15 per player for a 30-minute session; after that, each additional 30 minutes is $10. Private sessions for your own group of up to 30 players start at $450 for Nerf and $500 for laser tag, which gets you one hour.

When I visited, it was already packed with a group Nerf party, and while I was there a small line started to form at the sign-in table and check-out counter toward the front of the store. The site encourages reservations, and I suggest that, especially if you want to get a private session on with some of your friends or host a private party. The storefront attracted several passersby to stop in and check the location out while I was there as well, so it appears the third-floor location has a visual appeal that stops shoppers and is conveniently located fairly close to VR experience the Void.

Although I haven’t tried out Tactical Urban Combat for myself, the early reviews on Facebook seem to be positive. I’m intrigued by the concept and looking forward to setting aside some time with some of my buddies to test it out.

More views inside the space. Zach Alt