The landscape of UK esports is shifting, with both opportunities and challenges lying ahead. Esports News UK, in collaboration with GGBET UK, delves into this evolving scene, highlighting significant changes and the voices that shape this community.
The Closure of Insomnia Gaming Festival
The recent closure of the Insomnia Gaming Festival has dealt a severe blow to the grassroots esports scenes across multiple games. However, LAN events have not vanished entirely, thanks to Epic.LAN and LANcraft Events, which continue to provide crucial opportunities for players and teams to compete in person.
Changes in the Political Arena
Following the UK's 2024 general election, Labour's rise to power and the appointment of Lisa Nandy as the new culture secretary have created waves in the video game and esports community. The Video Games and Esports All-Party Parliamentary Group witnessed significant losses in its membership after the election, prompting questions about future government support for the industry.
Valorant and UK Talent
In the realm of competitive Valorant, recent announcements have promised changes to the Valorant Challengers esports for 2025. UK players and talent continue to leave their mark, with players like Benjyfishy signing with Heretics alongside a UK coaching duo, neilzinho and weber. Team Liquid, another prominent team, features British talents Keiko and Mistic. The presence extends internationally, with Scottish coach DrewSpark joining Sentinels and up-and-coming star Theo ‘Ticey’ Cranshaw making waves in Polaris. Ross ‘aNguiSt’ Pendleton has been a standout in CGN Esports’ DACH Evolution VCL campaign.
Collegiate Esports is Thriving
The collegiate level remains a cornerstone of the UK's esports scene, with numerous players, teams, and tournaments fueled by institutions such as the National Student Esports (NSE) and University Esports. The British Esports Student Champs 2024 finals featured an exciting match between Burnley Bees and CONEL, highlighting the vibrant competitive spirit on campuses.
Local and Global Events in League of Legends
London hosted major global events in League of Legends, including the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) at the Copper Box Arena and the World Championship finals at the O2. The UKEL, the UK's national league for League of Legends, has also made a comeback, affirming the local community's resilience.
Addressing the current state and future of UK League, Lee Routly, a freelance producer and former associate producer of the UKLC, expressed hope: "I hope to see the UK League return to the UK and see it once again given the space to grow. And with Riot’s push into the UK market with international events, I hope they can see the value of the UK market."
Shifts in Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike has not been immune to the changes in the esports landscape. The launch of CS2 marked a new chapter, with UK organizations Viperio and Into The Breach clinching spots at the Blast Paris Major European RMR. Notably, Into the Breach achieved top-eight status in CSGO's final major. Despite the closure of the ESL Premiership for the UK and Ireland, LAN events such as those hosted by the UK & Ireland Circuit (UKIC) and Epic.LAN continue to sustain the competitive scene. The Blast Premier Spring Final also brought the community together in London.
Smooya, a well-known UK esports personality, has joined Into the Breach's revamped roster for 2024, offering a beacon of hope for the team's future endeavors.
Other Competitive Scenes
Despite the dispersal of the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC), enthusiasm for other competitive events remains high. Ari from OG participated in ESL One Birmingham, a tournament praised by UK caster ODPixel: "All the ESL One Birmingham’s have been amazing, the crowds have been amazing. I really hope this continues to be a yearly thing... It’s been a really good success, the viewers love it, the fans here love it, I’m sure ESL are very happy with how it’s been going, and I hope we come back every year."
Tundra Esports continues to represent the UK valiantly at prestigious Dota 2 events, while Noctem marked its presence in the Call of Duty Challengers Championship.
Looking Ahead
In his reflection on the evolving esports landscape, Gareth, a UK caster, said, "The landscape is always changing, it’s kind of scary to think about the future and what happens next year. This year we lost the DPC... You want that spread out across multiple events and titles, they have millions spread across 19 games at the World Cup, which is pretty cool to have them all together."
In the face of these changes, the community remains resilient, continuously adapting to new opportunities and challenges. As Synygy of the UKEL aptly puts it, "I can say expect to see more and more events happening in the UK... What I’d like to see more of is the community realising the power they have in making the scene succeed."