Over the last few years, the UK esports industry has witnessed tremendous growth. This growth has been reflected in viewership and revenue, with thousands of gamers competing in different events online and offline. The increase in viewership has contributed to the growth in revenue, turning the UK esports market into a multimillion-dollar industry.
Irrespective of the current social or political landscape, the UK has done exceptionally well at organising huge esports events. As such, the UK plans to position itself as a world leader in the growing European esports industry.
Previously, ESL One Dota 2 tournament organised in Birmingham proved to be a major success, similar to London’s CS: GO Face IT Major. The UK government is also showing a significant interest in the industry, doing its best to make the country a global esports hub. As a result, several organisations are looking for ways to raise the money needed to esports events that would rival traditional sports events.
Government and Grassroots Support
UK’s esports organisations have largely benefited from strong grassroots support. For instance, Ukie (a trade organisation supporting interactive entertainment and gaming in the UK) is currently hosting school tournaments for games like Minecraft and Smash Bros. That will help mentor young talent into becoming the UK’s next esports stars.
Besides the players, the UK boasts of a huge following of passionate esports fans that are willing to wager on events at Betway88 and even travel for live games. That’s arguably the second largest esports fan base in Europe, standing behind Germany.
New Games and New Teams
As esports continue growing in popularity, new gamers are coming up to displace the current wave of dominant titles. The new games are also allowing new UK talent to participate. However, the most dominant games in the UK esports circuit are CS: GO, Overwatch and League of Legends.
New arrivals like Fortnite are also proving to be viable alternatives to dominant games, creating a talent turnover that makes grassroots UK gamers to be more competitive. The growing popularity of esports has also attracted the attention of traditional sports teams, as fans continue wagering on these games at Betway88.
In the UK, the EPL is organizing the ePremier League, with football clubs like Bayern Munich and Chelsea developing their own esports teams. As such, the traditional sports industry in the UK is also getting keenly involved in the growing esports industry.
Rehabilitating the reputation of gaming
One of the biggest benefits of taking gaming to the mainstream in the UK is that it’s helping to get rid of the cynical view that some people has had towards the industry. According to WHO, gaming disorder is a viable psychological problem. That has raised a lot of concerns over the years.
By focusing on the positive side and the massive potential of the esports industry, the UK is receiving a lot of support from the government to become a European gaming hub. Uk-based esports teams and organisations are also helping to shift the focus from the negative aspects of gaming to a more positive view.