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Esports News UK had the chance to speak with one of the UK’s early pro gamers, Rams ‘R2K’ Singh, who is programme co-ordinator senior lecturer in esports at the University of Chichester.
We spoke with everything from how esports has changed over the past couple of decades, the perception of esports degress and education, and lots more, at Insomnia 68. Here are some highlights.
On the perception of esports degrees and education
“I think it’s a growing platform, it’s going to have its teething problems, like anything. We’re working with industry, and the students watch all the leagues – they want to be a part of it.
“It’s very small to start off right now but it’s getting bigger, we’re getting noticed and there are more colleges and universities getting involved. We still have the problem of physical government sports bodies not looking at esports how they should be, and not helping it. So we could be bigger, we need to work with the bodies, work together and make people recognise it’s not just ‘sitting down and playing games’.
“One of our modules is to put on a live LAN event, and we have this taking place this month [with the third-year students]. It’s all about utilising the skills they have learnt, and we’ve invited Odee, yourself and other guest judges to come down, who will give a different voice to what I do – I probably sound like a droning noise to the students now after three years!
“I don’t care about competition in the sense of which university is doing better, I just want to see students getting tooled up for the future. We also have some students here at Insomnia, getting noticed and showcasing what they can do.”
“I miss the old days. One of my happy memories was being part of a family with Dignitas, and even before then, winning my European Championship in 2004. That was me proving to my parents I could do this.”
Rams ‘R2K’ Singh
On the early days, Dignitas and modern pro players being ‘mercenaries’
“I feel very blessed and lucky, when we started it was very underground – not like it is now. Back 20 years ago, esports was very niche, nobody really knew about it.
“I miss the old days. One of my happy memories was being part of a family with Dignitas, and even before then, winning my European Championship in 2004. That was me proving to my parents I could do this.
“And for me, money was never an importance. The way I see things now, with franchising, a lot of it is to do with money, and the only way you’re going to get in is if you’re in a circle of people or you get noticed on a ladder.
“Basically, I feel like the players are mercenaries, in a sense, whereas years ago for me it was more about the pride, playing with friends and winning. Money is okay, but [the idea of playing pro is] not sustainable… it’s a very low percentage of people who get to playing professionally. If you can get there, that’s fantastic, but it doesn’t last very long, a lot of pro players retire in their 20s.
“Will modern pro players get their other needs met? Or will they just get shouted at by certain coaches?”
On race in esports and a lack of racial diversity in pro gamers
“It’s weird, I was in a team of white people, but I never felt ostracized. I think it’s because of how I portray myself. I never really saw colour. I look at someone playing a game, I don’t look at what colour, gender or race they are. I look at the skill they bring to the team.
“[On there being a lack of diversity in terms of race in esports] It may be because of some of the old guard who do look at colour, and also of ethnicities being fearful, they trying to work their way up and they get abused, it pushes their mental back down. I’m not saying I’m right, but there are different possibilities.
“I got lucky, I was in the right place at the right time. I was never racially abused in gaming, I was racially abused at school, but that’s a different thing. But with gaming, I was welcomed with open arms. But I treat everyone as family. With the whole digital age, with keyboard warriors, I think that’s what blown it up quite a bit [nowadays].”
You can follow R2K on Twitter here and see more from Rams in this talk about esports changing his life
Insomnia esports coverage powered by AGON by AOC – see the AGON League of Legends monitor here and more i68 esports news and coverage here
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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.
