Active Reality, a provider of virtual reality (VR) ‘freeroam esports arenas’, and GLL, the UK’s largest operator of municipal leisure centres, have announced a new partnership.
This will see a national rollout of gaming technologies within leisure centres across the country.
Active Reality’s gaming platform uses VR and motion capture technology to create a ‘physically active esports experience’.
Visitors to GLL-operated leisure centres will now have access to VR headsets, where they can engage in a variety of games and activities.
Active Reality’s experiences include games such as competitive shooter Cyber Clash, co-op cooking game Kitchen Panic, zombie shooter Death Squad Survival and more.
A spokesperson told Esports News UK there will be casual esports competitions each session, including competitive PVP, teams and 1v1 options. Specific leagues are still set to launch.
“With rising levels of childhood obesity and the associated health risks, finding new ways to encourage young people to exercise is crucially important.”
Alister Rollins, Active Reality
The national rollout follows a pilot project that launched at Bath Sports and Leisure Centre in 2021. The platform is now also available at GLL-operated facilities in Cardiff, Swindon and Henley, with further locations coming on board later this year.
Established in 1993, GLL is the largest UK-based charitable social enterprise delivering leisure, health and community services. Operating under the Better brand, it manages 250 public sport and leisure centres, 113 libraries and 10 children’s centres in partnership with 50 local councils, public agencies and sporting organisations.
GLL also recently received a new operating contract for the Copper Box Arena in London, with more esports events expected over the next decade.
The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) has appointed a new operating contract for the Copper Box Arena to charitable social enterprise GLL for the next decade.
Joe Rham, Customer Experience Director at GLL, said: “This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the active leisure industry and will enable us to engage with young people who perhaps would otherwise not consider undertaking physical activity or visiting a leisure centre.
“With rising levels of childhood obesity and the associated health risks, finding new ways to encourage young people to exercise is crucially important.”
Active Reality’s Founder, Alister Rollins, added: “Our partnership with GLL represents a significant step forward in our mission to get more people active and tackle this critical demographic who often fall out of our industry.
“By combining our immersive technology with GLL’s reach, we can empower large numbers of individuals of all ages and fitness levels to be active and build the foundations necessary for a lifetime of healthier and more active lifestyles.”
There’s more info on the Active Reality website
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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.
