UK-based gaming and esports event organiser EPIC.LAN will provide its in-house esports tournament platform to the University of Northampton.
As part of an ongoing partnership between the two parties, students at the University will use the platform as an educational resource.
With access to the EPIC.LAN esports platform, students will have the ability to practice a range of esports tournament operations with guidance from staff to ensure that industry practices are applied.
EPIC.LAN and the University of Northampton first collaborated in 2021. In addition to using the organiser’s platform, students studying at the University can attend LAN events, providing them with a ‘direct experience’ of how esports events operate.
The University of Northampton is one of several Universities in the UK to provide esports degrees. In June 2023, Irish esports organisation WYLDE and the Belfast Metropolitan College launched Northern Ireland’s first esports-focused degree.
For the past ten years, EPIC.LAN held its events at the Kettering Conference Centre. However, in April 2023, the venue unexpectedly shut down resulting in the organiser moving the event to the Wolverhampton Racecourse. EPIC41 is set to take place from February 22nd to 25th and will host a range of tournaments for titles including Counter-Strike 2, VALORANT and Overwatch.
Jon Winkle, Managing Director of EPIC.LAN, spoke on the news: “Our events already provide a fantastic practical experience to students at the University of Northampton, complemented by guest lectures from a range of team members in topics such as streaming, casting and event management.
“The addition of the tournament platform and associated training from the EPIC.LAN team will help to prepare students for the realities of esports operations going forwards in their careers.”
