University Esports has announced the launch of its 13th season in the UK & Ireland, and has added an Overwatch 2 Women & Non-Binary tournament for the first time.
On top of this, Amazon is notably absent from tournament branding, with the online shopping giant’s partnership with University Esports having ended in Europe.
University Esports brings together students from universities all over the country throughout the academic year. In the previous season, more than 6,800 unique students from more than 100 universities across the UK & Ireland took part. Globally, the competition held more than 100,000 students from 26 countries.
The project also includes educational activities, workshops, and the possibility for students to make their first professional experiences in multiple areas. There’s a tour visiting universities across the country, introducing students to the esports ecosystem and providing insights into potential career paths.
Registrations for the upcoming season are now officially open, and Overwatch 2 will become the third title to be included in the dedicated Women and Non-Binary competitions, alongside Valorant and League of Legends.
University Esports said in a press release: “University Esports is a pioneer in the development of initiatives for marginalised groups within the esports and video game ecosystem. For years, the project has been investing in competitions that create a welcoming environment for students who identify as Women or Non-Binary.
“This new season of University Esports sees a further expansion of the dedicated Woman and Non-Binary competitions with the addition of Overwatch 2. This builds on the successful League of Legends and Valorant competitions that the project has run in previous seasons.”
Overall, this season includes competitions in:
- League of Legends
- Valorant
- Teamfight Tactics
- Rocket League
- Counter-Strike 2
- Overwatch 2
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Apex Legends
During this season, University Esports will be supported by top game publishers such as Riot Games.
NUEL continues to run University Esports
As has been the case since the beginning of the competition, the NUEL team continues to be responsible for the development of the project in the country.
NUEL, acquired by GGTech earlier this year, continues to grow with several projects, but it is still the organisation behind University Esports UK & Ireland.
There’s more info on how NUEL is evolving beyond UK University Esports in our recent interview here.
NUEL also clarified on social media a recent change:
Peter Cole, Head of Product at NUEL, which organises University Esports in the UK and Ireland, said: “We are very excited to be launching a new season of University Esports in the UK and Ireland. As we have done for the past 13 years, our goal at University Esports and NUEL is to provide all university students, regardless of ability, experience or background, a welcoming and inclusive environment to participate in esports. This includes increasing opportunities available to marginalised groups and support for student-led communities in grassroots esports.
“A fundamental pillar of our project continues to be educating and training students, helping them to develop their skills and talents in the areas they choose. By providing paid and volunteer positions on our league operations, marketing and broadcast teams, students gain real world experience, learning and honing practical skills with support and guidance from our dedicated staff.”
University Esports UK & Ireland broadcasts are scheduled for Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at www.twitch.tv/thenuel
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.
