■ British students will be looking to beat their rivals from the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine in the VALORANT video game on July 14.
■ This university offers unique and specific training in esports, a sector that is expected to turn £234 million in the United Kingdom by 2028.
■ UNIVERSITY Esports Masters is the season finale of UNIVERSITY Esports, a global project involving more than 100,000 students from all over the world.
The United Kingdom wants to make its mark at the pinnacle of esports in the university environment. A team of students from Staffordshire University will compete to become the European champion of UNIVERSITY Esports Masters (UE Masters), the largest video game competition between universities globally.
The British players, part of the Korean Pop Superstars (KPS) team, have qualified for the European Grand Final of the tournament, where they will fight for victory against their rivals from NUPESU (NPS), from the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine in VALORANT. The clash, which will be played in online format on July 14, can be watched live on the UE Masters Twitch channel (twitch.tv/uemasters).
Esports adventure begins in Staffordshire
Staffordshire University is one of the universities that has shown the most support for the growth of the esports and gaming industry in the UK. Young people interested in pursuing a career in competitive gaming have the opportunity to study at an award-winning school and learn how to organize small and large-scale esports tournaments, events and productions and how to adapt to clients outside of gaming.
Within its curriculum, Staffordshire University offers the BA (Hons) Esports degree, a unique training in the country that combines the production side (digital media and broadcasting) with practical experience in business, marketing event management and the theory-based community and cultural studies aspects of the esports industry.
Gaming and video game competitions are positioned as one of the fastest growing sectors of the entertainment industry year on year globally. According to the statistics portal Statista, “the United Kingdom is experiencing a surge in Esports popularity, with a growing number of tournaments, teams, and dedicated arenas.”
The same source forecasts that the esports market in the UK will reach revenues of £183.3 million in 2024, with a penetration rate of 27.9%. By 2028, it estimates revenues of £234 million and a market share of 33.1%.
Beyond of a video game competition
UE Masters, supported by Riot Games, is the conclusion of the UNIVERSITY Esports season, a global program with a presence in 26 countries on four continents and involving more than 100,000 students from 2,000 universities.
The main objectives of UNIVERSITY Esports are to create a sense of community among players from all over Europe, to give them the opportunity to compete in high quality international tournaments and to provide avenues for young people to develop a career within the esports world, as well as to find a place to learn and enhance their skills.
In the UK and Ireland, UNIVERSITY Esports, a project organized by NUEL (a GGTech Entertainment’s company), has celebrated its 13th Season. The winners of its Winter Split, such as Staffordshire University, have been the national representatives in the current edition of UE Masters.