Global Esports Federation announces 10-year agreement to boost UK esports in West Midlands, plans to open a research centre and host tournaments

Update: See our full interview with Global Esports Federation CEO Paul J. Foster on this news and other aspects of the federation here

The West Midlands has agreed on a 10-year strategic framework agreement (SFA) with the Global Esports Federation (GEF) to boost the region and UK esports.

The aim is to make the UK a key player on the international esports stage, and to have the West Midlands join a network of global hubs, including GEF’s headquarters in Singapore and developments in Brazil, China, Turkey, Japan, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.

The deal – led by the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) – aims to ‘cement the region’s position as a hotbed for the esports and gaming industry, with the West Midlands already responsible for one quarter of the UK’s output in the sector’, according to a press release.

The partnership will focus on three key areas: employment and skills, policy, and major events.

What will the Global Esports Federation’s strategic framework agreement with West Midlands include?

• The commissioning of an independent report into the esports sector in the region, assessing the potential for the sector’s growth and its economic impact.
• A bid to host GEF’s flagship Global Esports Games in 2027/2028.
• The region playing host to the Global Esports Tour from 2023 through to 2026.
• The development of ‘a range of initiatives focused on education, health, and the future of work – harnessing GEF and the region’s shared principles of integrity, inclusion, diversity, and innovation’.

• The establishment of a GEF Innovation and Research Centre (IRC) to ‘catalyse further collaboration between the private sector and the universities in the West Midlands’
• Collaboration with the region’s leading games developers to showcase West Midlands talent
• The hosting of an annual GEF World Forum in the West Midlands, focused on areas including health, wellness, education, youth leadership, careers, the future of work and supporting local communities.

Why the West Midlands? What else is going on in esports there?

The announcement precedes the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships and the Commonwealth Esports Forum which will take place in Birmingham this August.

The region also plays host to 130 games companies – predominantly clustered around Leamington Spa – including the likes of Codemasters, Ubisoft, Playground, Sega Hardlight and others.

The sector employs a workforce of more than 3,000 games professionals in the region. The University of Warwick has also been recently named the UK Esports University of the Year for the fourth successive year, following significant investment in facilities and talent.

Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers has also committed heavily to esports, hosting its own esports organisation with teams in the UK, Europe and China, as well as announcing last year a partnership with North American esports giant Evil Geniuses. Wolves Esports recently held a Rocket League bootcamp at the University of Wolverhampton.

The region also has a track record in hosting sporting events including the IAAF World Athletics Championships, World Gymnastics Championships, the Cricket World Cup and more.

A recent report from WMGC highlights that the West Midlands MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) sector was worth £2.3bn to the region in 2019, with the industry supporting 65,000 jobs.

Who are the Global Esports Federation?

The Global Esports Federation launched in December 2019 and bills itself as ‘the convening body for the esports ecosystem, which aims to promote the credibility, legitimacy and prestige of esports’.

“We convene athletes, players, the world’s publishers, developers, industry partners and sporting organizations on one inclusive platform,” reads a blurb.

GEF is billed as a not-for-profit and is backed by Riot Games’ Chinese parent company Tencent. It is also partnered with Faceit (owned by Savvy Gaming Group backed by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund), Prince Harry’s Invictus Games, which featured an esports side event this year, IMG, the Arab Esports Federation and more.

It also has more than 100 member federations, and a board of members from national esports federations from around the world, for example British Esports Federation founder Chester King is a vice president, as is Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud of the Saudi Esports Federation and more.

The GEF’s Global Esports Games took place in Singapore in December 2021. The body recently announced that Dubai will host the 2025 Global Esports Games.

The $1m Global Esports Tour’s next stop will be in Riyadh in July, and the GEF’s aforementioned Commonwealth Esports Championships will take place in August.

Dubai also recently hosted an EMG $250,000 CSGO tournament, in partnership with StarLadder and Gamers Hub, and the tournament is part of the $1m Global Esports Tour.

Earlier this year, the ESL and Faceit acquisition was criticised as they are now owned by Savvy Gaming Group (SGG), which itself is owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund – its government’s Public Investment Fund.

The move – and Saudi’s involvement in esports – has been criticised by pockets of the esports community for Saudi’s human rights record, and the notion of ‘esportswashing’ and using tournament announcements and esports acquisitions to ‘wash’ their human rights record.

What did West Midlands leaders and Global Esports say about the partnership?

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “The partnership with the Global Esports Federation perfectly captures the West Midlands’ locally led, global ambitions. It is designed to ensure our region is at the forefront of the world’s fastest growing entertainment sector, while continuing to close the digital skills gap and inspire the next generation of rising talent.

“Already the UK’s fastest growing tech sector with a revered supply chain of gaming companies that include Sega Hardlight and Codemasters, we’re excited to work with the Global Esports Federation to take our tech capabilities to the next level.”

Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, added: “With Birmingham and the wider West Midlands synonymous with youth, vibrancy and pioneering new innovations, our region is well-placed as the new strategic centre of UK esports. Through our partnership with the Global Esports Federation, we’re turning this rapidly growing, global economic and cultural opportunity into a regional blueprint for growth.

“We look forward to bringing esports to new audiences of fans and talent, right here in Birmingham, starting with the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships this August.”

Paul J. Foster, CEO of the Global Esports Federation, commented: “The GEF president, Chris Chan and the entire board of the Global Esports Federation, have earmarked strategic global hubs as anchors for our development of esports, sports, immersive technologies, innovative entertainment and adjacent sectors.

“The leadership in the West Midlands continues to demonstrate a strong collective ambition and the diverse capabilities of this dynamic region.

“Through our partnership with the Commonwealth Games Federation for the upcoming Commonwealth Esports Championships and this historic strategic framework agreement, we are proud to bring our support, expertise, and strong, tangible commitment to this region, unlocking a decade of limitless opportunities and accelerating growth for the people and businesses who are lucky to call it home.”

Dom Sacco

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.