Esports tournament organiser BLAST has announced a partnership with national esports body British Esports.
As a result of the deal, the two parties will join forces to focus efforts on developing grassroots esports in the UK in addition to political lobbying.
According to a release, the deal arrives during ‘a historic year for the UK esports industry’ with the partnership aiming ‘to capitalise on the momentum’ generated by several esports events taking place in the country throughout 2024. In June alone, the BLAST Premier Spring Final and the RLCS London Major are some of the major esports events taking place in London’s Wembley Arena and the Copper Box Arena, respectively.
2024 has been a hotbed of activity for esports in the UK. In January, the ESL One Birmingham Dota 2 tournament received funding from the UK Government to host the event while April saw Red Bull host a women’s VALORANT event.
BLAST is no stranger to the UK. Manchester hosted a Rainbow Six Siege Major in May which saw peak viewing figures of 162,094, an increase from the first tournament of 2024.
Founded in 2016, British Esports aims to improve the legitimacy of esports by supporting various aspects of the industry. In May, it unveiled new members of its Women in Esports initiative aiming to improve diversity and equality within the industry.
Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST, spoke on the partnership: “This partnership with British Esports is a pivotal step in our mission to support the esports ecosystem in the UK.
“This year alone, the world’s biggest game publishers are choosing the UK as a destination for their esports ecosystems and arena events, helping position the region as a global hub for esports and big-scale events. This partnership with British Esports will allow us to bridge the gap between tier-one arena events and grassroots esports.”
