Student esports body and tournament organiser NSE has announced a range of partnerships throughout January for 2024.
The news comes ahead of NSE’s spring season of the British University Esports Championship, which launches on February 4th. Students will compete in several titles including Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, Rocket League, League of Legends, Overwatch 2, Dota 2 and Apex Legends.
NSE strikes partnership with Pringles
NSE and Pringles have announced their latest partnership, with the snack brand being named as an official partner of the British University Esports Championship (BUEC). Building on the success of the previous collaboration around the ‘Stay in the Game’ campaign in 2023, this extended alliance ‘is set to elevate the university gaming and esports experience for students across the UK throughout the full calendar year’, NSE said in a press release.
Pringles will also join NSE at Insomnia the Gaming Festival i72 where NSE will be staging the finals of the British University Esports Championship, bringing universities from all across the UK to battle out who will be crowned Esports University of the Year.
The snacking brand will have its own dedicated space within the NSE area for visitors to engage with and will be alongside other partners from the NSE roster such as Intel, Scan Computers, Monster Energy, UNnidays and DrayTek.
Aside from the live finals, there are more dedicated Pringles community events coming this year, focused on fun formats for students of all skill levels across a variety of games.
Alex Coulson, managing director at NSE said: “This latest partnership with Pringles is testament to the power of the NSE community. We are so happy that brands like Pringles are expanding their commitment to grassroots esports and gaming. The students had a great time competing in the Pringles #StayInTheGame challenges last year and together, we can’t wait to craft more unforgettable experiences for our players and dedicated fans of Pringles.”
Evie Pickering, brand activation executive at Pringles UK, said: “It’s great to sign with NSE, reaffirming our commitment to connecting with university students and expanding our footprint in the university esports scene. This collaboration reinforces our belief in the power of bringing people together to create unforgettable moments. We can’t wait to see the incredible passion and talent that these students will undoubtedly showcase.”
NSE Games Innovation Challenge sponsored by Unidays
NSE and Unidays have announced that the Games Innovation Challenge, a game jam competition for students at colleges and universities across the UK, returned on January 29th 2024.
The challenge was designed to recognise and reward the NSE student community, with previous entries showcasing skills from a wide array of students, many of whom are involved in game development as a hobby not part of their studies. The Games Innovation Challenge sponsored by Unidays will run for just over two months with entries closing on March 28th.
The entries will be judged by a group of judges. Previous iterations of the competition have included representatives from the likes of Epic Games, PlayStation, Unity and Ubisoft. More information on the judges of the challenge is to be announced at a later date. As well as showcasing their skills to games industry professionals, students will also be competing for a prize pool of £5,000 across seven different categories. Confirmed categories include:
- First Place: Best overall game
- Innovator Award: Best unique features
- Gameplay Guru: Best gameplay
- Design Muse Award: Best visual and audio design
- Technical Genius Award: Best programming and tech optimisation
- Games with purpose: Best game that made a positive social impact
- Commercial Gem: Best marketing plan
Teams can be formed of students from different universities or colleges and can also contain non-students. However, to be eligible, the majority of the team must be current students at a university or college. Teams may use any platform and prebuilt assets, providing the team has the permission or licence to do so.
Alex Coulson, Managing Director at NSE said: “The NSE community has some immense talent and I can’t wait to see what innovative games they come up with. We always aim to enrich the student experience and celebrate their skills so a big thanks to Unidays for their invaluable support.”
Juandre Bekker, Industry Leader (Tech + Banking) at Unidays, added: “At Unidays, we understand the importance of supporting students in pursuing their passions, and game development represents a dynamic and rapidly evolving field. By partnering with NSE for this challenge, we aim to inspire and encourage students to unleash their full potential, fueling their ambitions to create inspiring games that resonate with the entire community.”
NSE partners with iiyama
NSE and iiyama have announced a new partnership with the gaming monitor brand being named as the Official Monitor Partner of the British University Esports Championship (BUEC).
During the past academic year, BUEC hosted 15,000 matches with participation from 2,200 teams and 111 universities. Going forward, iiyama will be present throughout NSE’s core competitive tournaments.
iiyama will join NSE at Insomnia the Gaming Festival i72 where NSE will be staging the BUEC finals, bringing universities from all across the UK to battle out who will be crowned Esports University of the Year. Students will be able to use the gaming monitors during the finals.
Alex Coulson, Managing Director at NSE said: “We’re proud to join forces with iiyama, a brand synonymous with innovation and high quality, this aligns perfectly with what we’re trying to do at NSE in the university esports scene. Together, this collaboration marks a significant step forward for NSE, reinforcing our commitment to providing the best possible esports experience for university students across the UK”
Steve Kilroy, Country Manager at iiyama said: “iiyama is excited to be the official monitor partner for NSE, this collaboration signifies a shared commitment to the growth and development of esports at the university level. We are very excited to support NSE in delivering exceptional gaming experiences within the UK university gaming and esports community.”
NSE partners with Monster Energy
London, UK – 17th January 2024
NSE and Monster Energy have announced a multi-year deal continuing a long-standing partnership dating back to 2019. Monster Energy will continue as the official energy drink partner of the British University Esports Championship (BUEC).
The community clip competition ‘Monster Plays’ will return and run alongside BUEC, showcasing the best talent in the university esports scene. The competition features students submitting their clips each week from their games in BUEC, then the community votes for their favourite with the winner gaining access to a year’s supply of Monster Energy.
Students will also be able to look forward to a refreshed tournament series supported by Monster Energy, and a range of new initiatives providing students with more opportunities to play coming soon. Monster Energy will also be present with NSE at the Insomnia Gaming Festival.
Alex Coulson, Managing Director at NSE said:“The love for Monster Energy in our community is off the charts. The amount of chat in our NSE Discord channel about the best flavour is intense, Mango Loco should be number one if you ask me, but ultimately it’s all down to a community and partner that work so well together.
“The Monster Energy team is vital in helping us to create unforgettable moments and experiences within the esports landscape for university students. Their support and dedication to the British University Esports Championship is so important as it not only validates the significance of esports but also elevates the overall experience for players in our community.”
NSE also has the Intel FutureGen student cohort and NSE partnered with Scan Computers late last year for a new esports tournament.
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.
