British Esports Association launches British Esports Championships for schools & colleges

16 January 2018

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The British Esports Association has today announced the first details of its inaugural British Esports Championships.

The tournament is set up specifically for school and college students and will get underway with a pilot scheme in February 2018. The four-part pilot scheme will involve what the not-for-profit Association hopes is a diverse range of students, aged between 12-19 from different types of educational establishment. The pilot teams will be from schools, further education colleges, library hubs and alternative provision (pupil referral units). 

The British Esports Association will be working with teachers, school leaders and the Department of Education to monitor the pilot scheme and ensure best practice is followed. 

The scheme will run across three different esports titles: League of Legends, Overwatch and Project CARS 2. DinoPC will be providing computers to some of the schools during the period of the pilot scheme.

The eventual aim is for the national championships to get fully underway in September 2018 and for the tournament to follow the academic year – culminating in a finals at Insomnia, the UK’s largest gaming festival in August. Details of such arrangements, however, are as of yet unconfirmed. 

British Esports Association Chair, Andy Payne OBE said: “We are very excited about creating the British Esports Championships. We would like to thank Riot, Blizzard and Slightly Mad Studios, for without their support none of this would be possible.”

“We are extremely excited to see the world of esports helping to foster the community and teamwork skills in schools across the UK,” commented Mo Fadl, Head of UK Esports at Riot Games

He continued: “The next generation of young gamers are already proving to be more skilled and competitive than ever and with the right guidance, we may very well see some pros in the making. We can’t wait to see how players grow and develop both individually and as a team, and look forward to seeing the top teams battle it out in person!”

Andy Tudor, Chief Creative Officer at Slightly Mad Studios, commented: “Ever since the release of the original Project CARS title, we’ve seen the franchise played by a wide variety of players including some that hope to one day enter the world of real-world competitive motorsports. As well as playing the game for fun, they also use it as a training tool to learn the skills and attitude needed out on the track, or supplement their existing talent in karting to further enhance their racecraft.

“The British Esports Championships therefore is an exciting opportunity to further discover those individuals out there that potentially are the next Lewis Hamilton, whilst also providing a platform to encourage teamwork and give the next generation the skills needed to compete collaboratively in the esports world.”

Vladimir Kuznetsov, DinoPC owner and MD, concluded: “We at DinoPC are very excited to work with British Esports from the early stages. The gaming scene in the UK is very vibrant and diverse, but is lacking in co-ordination and support to nurture and manage young talent. With British Esports’ vision, drive and commitment, the future looks very exciting for UK gaming, and we can’t wait to see the impact and opportunities they bring with their fantastic team.”

Esports Insider says: Another solid initiative from the British Esports Association. It’s great to see the likes of Riot and Blizzard supporting these initiatives, too. Here’s hoping for a successful pilot scheme.