Intel, National Student Esports (NSE) and tournament organiser ESL have launched a new programme designed to identify esports talent at UK universities.
The new initiative builds on the partnership between ESL and Intel that was first created in 2018 and will continue until 2021.
Heather Dower, Marketing and Communications Manager at ESL had this to say regarding the partnership: “There is an incredible breadth of talent on campuses up and down the country, and we are particularly excited to work on the next FutureGen programme with Intel and NSE to harness and develop these skills. This year we will be opening up this process to as many students as possible in order to celebrate their successes.”
Applications for the FutureGen programme begin in late September and will require prospective students to write an application and create a short video. From there, a panel of industry experts will narrow down the applicants to just 10.
Designed to fit around the degree studies of the respective students, they will have access to development events hosted by NSE and Intel, as well as an ESL event. The programme is set to run until May 2020.
Scott Gillingham, UK Gaming and Esports Lead at Intel UK expressed his excitement around the project: “Here at Intel we have always been committed to the future of esports and that means supporting the industry from the ground up, engaging with grass roots leagues and nurturing new talent.
“Esports talent isn’t just limited to players which is why, following a successful programme in 2018, Intel is proud to launch Intel FutureGen for 2019 with NSE and ESL. We wanted to go bigger and better this year so that we can continue to support talent at a university level and provide opportunities for young people with aspirations in esports.”
Esports Insider says: The FutureGen programme looks to be a great initiative for UK students to get involved in the esports industry, something we strongly believe in. Led by the likes of NSE and Intel, it’s sure to be a great experience for the successful applicants.