A new esports studio and training facility is opening at the Home of Skills & Technology (HOST) Salford at the MediaCityUK hub in Greater Manchester.
The studio has partnered with UK esports organisation Vexed Gaming and the University of Salford to support local talent and engage with young people interested in the skillsets esports offers in formal education.
The hope is to make MediaCityUK a ‘beacon for esports’ in the North West, to grow the esports ecosystem in the region and give esports talent a home to foster their skills and gain routes into the industry. It will be used as a training space for local esports teams and bootcamps, and a space to host local tournaments.
The esports studio launches this Saturday, October 23rd 2021 with an esports tournament, as part of World Esports Day (which ENUK is also celebrating with a UK esports stream).
Salford City Council is also getting involved with the event as well as Manchester’s esports student societies.
HOST is also establishing an esports academy as part of its Skills City bootcamps, in order to provide access to digital skills training and break barriers faced by those from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds. There is also links to its labs and the UK Unity Centre of Excellence, a specialist in real-time 3D (RT3D) content.
“I am delighted to come on board and to secure a Manchester-based training ground for our professional teams here at Vexed Gaming and to support a local opportunity for young people to foster their passion for esports.”
Mark Weller, Vexed Gaming
Mo Isap, CEO of IN4 Group, operator of HOST, said: “The incredible explosion of the esports market is continuing at a global scale, and we are excited to be leading on this accessible esports skills programme with our partners Salford City Council.
“Our ambition is for MediaCity to be a beacon for esports talent across the region and to provide the industry with its next generation of pro gaming talent. Being part of the innovation ecosystem allows us to nurture local talent with the digital skills they need and support them into esports related careers, creating the most diverse, industry-ready talent that will help to drive prosperity in the region.”
Dr Maria Stukoff, co-chair of esport industry partnerships at the University of Salford, added: “This is really very powerful. This unique collaboration brings together local businesses and councils, esports professionals and educational giants all working together to develop a dynamic platform to engage with our local esports community and to connect talent straight into the industry.”
Mark Weller, Chief Gaming Officer of Vexed Gaming, commented: “I am delighted to come on board and to secure a Manchester-based training ground for our professional teams here at Vexed Gaming and to support a local opportunity for young people to foster their passion for esports.
“Esports has provided me with a rewarding career, and we’re keen to invest back into our local community to build an esports ecosystem for everyone within Manchester.”
Esports News UK inverviewed Mark Weller from Vexed Gaming two months ago.
The World Esports Day tournament takes place on Saturday 23rd October from 10.30am to 9.30pm at HOST, Blue Tower, MediaCity, M50 2ST. Tickets for the HOST World Esports Day tournament can be found here, and the event can be watched online via the Salford Esports Twitch channel.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
