University of Suffolk on making Ipswich an esports hub

But it’s a rapidly growing industry valued at more than $2.8billion globally, with some of the world’s top brands getting in on the action and international tournaments offering eight-figure prize pots. With that vast growth comes a demand for industry skills, and in September the county’s first esports degree will launch at the University of Suffolk.

Indicative images of the impressive new £1.65million facility at the university’s Waterfront campus have been unveiled for the first time today, featuring more than 40 gaming-spec PCs, professional-grade broadcast gallery and a live studio purpose-built for broadcasting and live streaming.

Professor Stuart Harmer, dean of the university’s school of technology, business and arts, says the time was right for the university to get involved.

He said: “By offering one of the first undergraduate esports courses in the region, we will provide a vital progression route from schools and colleges and into graduate level careers.”

Designed to prepare students for all aspects of esports, including running a live broadcast, managing a brand, hosting live events, creating digital content, and marketing esports activities, the opportunities lie well beyond just playing the games.

“At the smallest level, esports is the act of playing video games competitively. What we refer to as esports is larger, so it is all the surrounding industries as well,” says Charlie Smith, course leader.

Charlie Smith will lead the esports course (Image: University of Suffolk) Mr Smith is keen to ensure that graduates from the course will be able to run any aspect of an esports event, adding: “If they are looking to do broadcasting or graphic design that is great but they also need to know how to manage a brand or a business, particularly as esports is so grassroots.

"It requires you to have knowledge of the different components of esports.”

While esports may be young, that doesn’t mean it isn’t significant. In the UK alone in 2020, the industry was valued at around £111.5m, and is predicted to more than double in size by 2029.

The drivers of that are beyond just the gaming itself – merchandise, media rights, sponsorship and streaming deals all contribute to this multi-million-pound industry.

It hasn’t gone unnoticed by global sports brands either. Football heavyweights like Manchester City and Barcelona, or the 10 Formula One teams currently on the grid have all launched their own teams.

In November last year, Ipswich Town announced its own esports team would be joining the ePremier League from 2025 – an avenue the course tutors hope will provide mutually-beneficial opportunities in future.

“These traditional sports teams recognise the similarities of what they do and what esports can provide,” Mr Smith says. “They understand how they can connect and engage with not only a younger audience but also an audience that may not traditionally be interested in sport.”

Indeed, esports as an industry illustrates “how different aspects of media and culture are blending together,” according to Mr Smith, and for the gaming industry more broadly esports is a fruitful promotional experience.

“Esports has always been a marketing tool for old video games. Back when Nintendo launched their world championships in the early ‘90s it was promotional for their games,” Mr Smith explains.

“We see now that one of the biggest esports titles, League of Legends, has a massive esports scene which helps bring people in.”

Esports titles span a plethora of genres such as sports games, first-person shooters, strategy titles and mobile games, while some of the biggest titles include the likes of Valorant, Overwatch 2, Apex Legends, Fortnite, Rocket League and FC.

Work on the new esports facility in Ipswich is currently underway in a vacant building in Long Street, with the new space ready to welcome the first cohort of students in September.

It has been designed to be representative of the kind of space graduates can expect to use in their future careers, and that crucially means being able to run events online.

Those events will include tournaments, exhibition matches and charity games, while students will also get to manage their own Suffolk esports team, due to be unveiled in the next few months.

To find out more about the course, visit www.uos.ac.uk/study/ba-esports .