Esports

Esports in the U.K.

Esports is immensely popular across the globe and there has a been growing popularity in the UK in recent years. Around 1.2 million adults across Britain say that they watch esports and other competitive gaming events. Esports is also contributing a lot to UK GDP, with £111.5 million in 2021/22.

Esports is now a multi-billion dollar industry where people from all around the world can team up to compete against others in a multiplayer online battle arena. There are over 30 esports gaming titles and some bring impressive crowds. People have been known to travel far and wide to get in on the action of an esports match.

Competitions and tournaments can often lead to an impressive cash prize. The scope of esports has grown rapidly. Millions of people have become passionate about teams and players, holding them to the same standard as the worlds biggest football players.

The esports industry has also presented people, especially the younger generations, with a variety of opportunities. Jobs such as events planning, content creation, journalism, production and coaching will allow people to pursue careers in the esports industry. This platter of jobs shows that esports is no longer just competitive gaming.

The UK has a relatively good and dedicated esports fanbase. There are millions of gamers who either participate in championships or who follow the games and spectate. The UK esports industry also now has a regulatory body, the British Esports Federation, to watch over events and promote teams and talent across the world.

Over the last five years, the esports industry in Britain has progressed and gained popularity in the media. Esports was often looked at like a hobby that people would seemingly grow-out of. The British Esports Federation is seeking to promote the industry in a similar manner to football or rugby. There are aiming to show people that the sport requires a certain level of skill and mastery that is accomplished over time.

On top of this, esports has began to infiltrate education. The British Esports Federation also have partnered with UK education publisher Pearson. They launched a BTEC qualification that allows students to learn about the different aspects of the industry and how they can succeed in other paths of esports other than only completive gaming.

The standard age for an esports gamer/professional in the UK is from 16 to 25 with pro players often retire in their late 20’s. More recently, the growth of esports has encouraged players to stick with gaming for the long term. Players are stepping back from competing and are taking on coaching or analyst roles. This is opening up the esports industry and leading it to give people the prospect of an entire career.

Britain has also been the home to several record breaking esport events. These events include Facelt, ESL, Insomnia Gaming Festival, and Gfinity. These have also taken place in venues such as Wembley Area, London Excel, Birmingham NEC and other large, popular venues across the UK.

There are also several popular and successful esports teams in the UK such as Excel, Endpoint, Guild Esports, Wolves, LDN UTD and many others. There are also around 100 pro players from the UK including Ben Bank, Benjyfishy and ProblemX. Each having several wins under their belt.

The esports industry in th UK is thriving thanks to the rising number of fans. People are becoming more and more aware of the opportunities within the esports industry. Esports in the UK and across the world is bound to keep getting bigger.

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Find out more about Tej Kohli: Tej Kohli the technologist investing in human triumph, Tej Kohli the philanthropist trying to cure the developing world of cataracts and Tej Kohli the London tycoon with a generous streak.