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With the growing reach of technology and the internet, esports is known in many countries today, and there’s been a growing UK scene in recent years. The number of adults in Britain who say they watch esports and other competitive gaming events stands at more than 1.2m, and esports contributes more than £111.5m to UK GDP each year.
Overall, esports is thriving in some ways in the United Kingdom, and in other ways there is still work to be done.
What is Esports and How Big Is It?
For those without a great knowledge of esports, if you’ve ever been involved in a competitive video game with a friend or online acquaintance, you’re one step away from discovering the esports industry. Esports stands for electronic gaming, and it’s the sphere that holds professional gamers competing in video games – usually for a cash prize. The scope of esports has gone beyond playing a one-on-one FIFA game with your friend in the same space.
It’s now a billion-dollar industry where strangers from around the world can team up to compete in multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games, first-person shooter (FPS) games, battle royales, and real-time strategy titles, among several others. As of the time of the COVID lockdown, the industry had over 450 million fans worldwide, and it’s set to reach 532m this year according to Newzoo.
The industry has over 30 esports titles recognised internationally, some of which pull massive crowds in indoor arenas. In the UK we’ve had impressive Call of Duty events like the Royal Ravens homestand pre-covid (see the image at the top of this article), the Rocket League Major in London, a FaceIT CSGO Major and many more.
These titles have recognised champions who can earn millions of dollars from winning the biggest competitions and are referred to as pro players or esports stars. There are also pro teams with fandoms that generate revenue in millions of dollars for the industry from merch, esports betting, tickets, and livestreams. However, it’s not an easy industry to navigate, and many teams are still trying to find the best ways to earn revenues beyond traditional sponsorships.
Some of these popular esports titles include Dota 2, League of Legends, Call of Duty, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, Smash Bros, FIFA, Street Fighter and Rocket League, among others. In addition, the esports industry has created jobs for thousands of people worldwide.
These jobs are seen in gaming content creation, esports journalism, events planning, coaching, broadcast/production and more. You can make money from these jobs or take your chance at esports betting. Esports betting is proving to be popular in some markets, with several esports betting sites offering you odds and tips on betting on your favourite esports teams.
What’s The Esports Industry Like in The UK?
The United Kingdom has a good esports fanbase, with tens of millions of gamers, either participating in games or following gaming events. The industry has a national body that regulates and promotes its esports teams and talents on a global scale. This national body is known as the British Esports Association (now known as the British Esports Federation), founded by Chester King.
Over the years, the esports industry in the UK has grown through proper media publicity and the internet. Esports used to seem like a hobby that people could drop after a certain age, but the British Esports Federation is aiming to promote the sector as a sport-like activity featuring skills and mastery that people should be invested in. It launched an Esports BTEC qualification with Pearson and runs the British Esports Student Champs in schools and colleges.
The demographic of gamers in the industry used to typically range from 16-25, with pro players typically retiring in their mid to late 20s. However, with the pace at which the industry has grown, things have changed, and gamers realise long-term opportunities with esports. Many players retire to become coaches or casters or analysts, and there are more opportunities for people to make a career in esports.
Asides from these works in progress in the industry, the UK has several tournaments and events organisers that have held record-breaking events. These include FaceIt, ESL, Insomnia Gaming Festival, Gfinity and more. Some of these organisers have studios in the UK and the country has held events in the Wembley SSE Arena, London Excel, Arena Birmingham (like ESL One Dota 2, see image above), Birmingham NEC and more.
With more funding and partnerships from big companies in the industry, UK esports will hope to become world class further in the future.
Esports Teams And Pro Players In The UK
Some of the biggest esports teams in the UK include those in the UK Esports Team Committee (UKETC), such as Fnatic, Excel, Endpoint, Vexed Gaming, MNM Gaming, London Royal Ravens, London Spitfire, Guild Esports, Wolves, Method, Resolve, LDN UTD, Man City and Futwiz.
In addition, there are about 100 pro players from the UK. Some of these players include Jaden “Wolfiez” Ashman, Kyle “Mongraal” Jackson, Ben Bance, Benjyfishy, Tom Leese, ProblemX, Alphari, xMatty, Rhys “Rated” Price, Donovan “Tekkz” Hunt, Cameron “Cammy” McKilligan and more.
Esports Betting In The UK
There are several reputable betting sites in the UK that have sections dedicated especially to esports. With the prominence of esports in UK, esports betting in the UK has helped make fanatics thousands of pounds from betting on their favourite esports teams. Watch out for websites giving tips, guides and favourable odds to get the best of esports betting the UK.
Conclusion
The esports industry in the UK is thriving well with the increasing number of fans realising great opportunities that could be explored from gaming. With the support of the British Esports Federation and big gaming companies, esports in the UK has the potential to be world class. But there’s still a lot of work to be done first.
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