Britain could be getting its own eSports governing body

british esports governing body 1

In the wake of today’s World Esports Association (WESA) announcement – a new eSports league regulator – we’ve caught wind of another bit of breaking news.
eSports News UK understands that a separate eSports governing body specifically looking after Britain may be in the works.
Senior sources claim that a national governing body is being put together which will help focus on promoting grassroots competitive gaming in Britain, and to grow eSports as a whole on our shores.
It’s the latest piece of good news for eSports within the UK.
The National Union of Students (NUS) has agreed to petition Sport England and British Universities & Colleges Sport to recognise eSports as an actual sport, which could unlock further funding at a university and grassroots level.
eSports has also been officially introduced into the annual Roses varsity sporting event between the University of York and Lancaster University.

An open letter to the ‘bonkers’ anti-eSports brigade at Loughborough University

eSports News UK understands the team behind a potential local governing body has been in talks with senior figures from within UK eSports.
We’ve been calling for an independent governing body for some time now.
Some UK eSports veterans such as Team Dignitas boss Michael O’Dell have remained wary of failed bodies such as the United Kingdom eSports Association (UKESA), which attempted to make money in the process. Dignitas is still owed thousands of pounds by UKESA to this day.
Currently, game developers such as Riot Games set the rules for many of their own tournaments, such as the League of Legends World Championships.
There are some global bodies, like the International e-Sports Federation (IeSF) in South Korea, which wants eSports to be recognised as a sport, but its power is limited and it doesn’t operate in many countries.
Meanwhile, today’s announcement of the World Esports Association (WESA) has been met with mixed reception.
The organisation aims to ‘further professionalise eSports’ by introducing elements of player representation, standardised regulations and revenue sharing for teams.
Think of it as the eSports equivalent of football body FIFA.
The formation of WESA concludes over a year of negotiation between many teams and organizers, and it aims to bring ‘much needed structure’ and ‘greater transparency’ to eSports. It’s essentially an association that will organise eSports leagues.


“WESA will help organise the schedules, but also create a sustainable framework for legal and business aspects,” the firm said in a Reddit Q&A.
Eight teams have contributed to the formation of WESA, with founding teams including Fnatic, Natus Vincere, EnVyUs, Virtus.Pro, G2 Esports, Faze, Mousesports and Ninjas in Pyjamas. Organiser ESL is also working with WESA.
WESA will also have a Player Council which will advocate on behalf of the pro gamers in relation to league policies, rulesets, player transfers and more, in a bid to ’empower’ players.
“The formation of WESA is a critical milestone on our way to grow eSports globally, and we’re incredibly excited to work with some of the world’s best professional teams,” said Ralf Reichert, ESL MD.
“Their continuous support to the formation and structuring of the Association only further cemented our belief that eSports is well on its way to become the leading source of entertainment of gaming fans around the world.”

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