Asylum Paintball

Asylum Paintball is a New Zealand paintball facility located at the former Kingseat Hospital complex in Karaka, south of Auckland. Established in 2013, the venue combines indoor paintball within former hospital buildings with outdoor recreational fields and tournament facilities.[1][2]

Asylum has hosted competitions organised by the New Zealand Paintball Players League (NZPPL), South Auckland Paintball Club (SAPC) and other tournament organisers. Its purpose-built competition fields have supported Auckland's tournament paintball community since the early 2010s.[3]

History

Establishment

Development of Asylum Paintball began in 2012, when the operators leased part of the former Kingseat psychiatric hospital complex at 833 Kingseat Road.

The site was converted into a commercial paintball venue, incorporating the hospital's former maximum-security buildings and surrounding grounds. A tournament field was constructed on the former hospital football pitch, alongside indoor and outdoor recreational playing areas.[1]

Asylum opened in 2013. The adaptation of former hospital buildings into paintball facilities was independently documented in March 2014.[2]

Management

Vitaly Miheev was closely involved in Asylum's establishment and early operation. In October 2015, paintball manufacturer DYE Precision published an account by Australian team Hard2Overcome identifying Miheev as the venue's owner and operator.[4]

Historical business records also identify Alex Diveg in sales and Anton Klimenko in accounting.[5]

Asylum operated separately from Lock N Load Paintball, an earlier Auckland paintball facility located near Auckland Airport. Contemporary industry directories recorded both businesses as distinct venues.[6]

Facilities

Asylum Paintball occupies part of the former Kingseat Hospital grounds, including buildings originally used by the psychiatric institution.

Its playing facilities have included:

Lockdown Ward: An indoor close-quarters field incorporating former hospital rooms and corridors.
Tyre Mania: An outdoor recreational field using tyres and other constructed obstacles.
Tournament fields: Outdoor competition fields equipped with inflatable Sup'Air bunkers.
Recreational fields: Additional outdoor playing areas designed for private groups and scenario games.

Historical advertising described two dedicated tournament fields, alongside indoor playing areas and facilities for private bookings, corporate groups and recreational players.[1][6]

Tournament paintball

Asylum became a venue for organised competitive paintball in Auckland during the 2010s.

New Zealand Paintball Players League

Asylum hosted events associated with the New Zealand Paintball Players League, including the final event of the 2013 season and competitions during 2014.[1]

The 2014 NZPPL Auckland events included Pro X-Ball and Division 1 competition, with teams from New Zealand, Australia and French Polynesia participating in the league's International Pacific Championship.[7]

South Auckland Paintball Club

Asylum served as a home venue for the South Auckland Paintball Club, which organised regular tournament competitions at the facility.

The club's 2014 and 2015 Race Series included Open X-Ball and mechanical pump divisions. Events were recorded through the PBLeagues tournament registration and results system.[3][8]

The 2014 series consisted of four events held between February and September. The 2015 series also featured four events, running from January to August.

SAPC and Asylum Paintball were separate organisations, with the club organising sporting competitions and the commercial venue providing facilities.

Asylum Paintball Cup

The venue hosted the Asylum Paintball Cup on 26–27 September 2015.

The competition attracted international participation, including Australian team Hard2Overcome and Phoenix Tahiti from French Polynesia.[4][9]

The event was documented in an October 2015 report published by DYE Precision, which described Hard2Overcome's participation and its experiences competing at Asylum.[4]

Other tournaments

Asylum also hosted the Auckland Paintball Cup in March 2015 and was associated with a further edition in April 2016.[9]

In September 2025, the venue advertised the fourth event of a three-man tournament series, demonstrating its continued involvement in smaller competitive paintball formats.[10]

Recreational and scenario paintball

In addition to tournament paintball, Asylum has operated recreational games, private group events and organised scenario activities.

Its former hospital buildings provide enclosed playing environments, while outdoor areas accommodate larger recreational games.

The venue has also been associated with the Armageddon scenario paintball series.

In August 2026, Asylum advertised Armageddon XIV, scheduled for 14–15 November 2026, as a two-day event featuring daytime and night-time paintball.[11]

References

External links