Esports News UK has partnered with GGBET UK to deliver a series of in-depth articles, and in this culminating piece, Dom Sacco casts his gaze toward the future of UK esports across five leading games. The Insomnia Gaming Festival’s closure marks a significant turning point, notably impacting grassroots esports scenes. However, events such as Epic.LAN and LANcraft continue to offer vital LAN competition opportunities, ensuring the community retains its vibrancy.
A New Era in UK Esports
The political landscape has also shifted, with Labour coming into power following the 2024 general election, and Lisa Nandy stepping up as the new culture secretary. Yet, the Video Games and Esports All-Party Parliamentary Group has seen a retreat in membership, a situation reflecting the broader challenges the UK esports scene faces post-election. Nonetheless, the competitive spirit thrives, especially at the collegiate level, with organizations like NSE and University Esports fostering local talent.
Valorant enthusiasts have fresh excitement to anticipate as the 2025 Valorant Challengers esports changes were recently unveiled. This coincides with Heretics signing revered UK player Benjyfishy and retaining a UK-centric coaching duo, neilzinho and weber. Additionally, UK players like Keiko and Mistic have joined the ranks of Team Liquid, and Scottish coach DrewSpark is now with Sentinels, indicating a promising trend of UK talent securing prominent positions internationally.
A Bright but Challenging Future
The challenge, however, extends to sustaining and enhancing the infrastructure. The closing of the ESL Premiership for the UK and Ireland has left a void, but efforts like the UK & Ireland Circuit (UKIC) and the continued success of Epic.LAN tournaments for CS teams are stepping up to fill this gap. Noteworthy achievements, such as Into the Breach’s top-eight finish at CSGO’s last major and their participation in the Blast Paris Major European RMR alongside Viperio, underline the potential and resilience of UK teams.
The UK’s standing in global esports events has been reinforced by hosting prestigious tournaments. League of Legends saw major spectacles with MSI at the Copper Box Arena and the LoL Worlds finals at the O2 in London. This speaks to the UK’s growing ambition to be a central hub for such world-class events. The revival of the UKEL augurs well for nurturing local talent and maintaining a vibrant League of Legends scene in the country. However, opinions persist about necessary improvements.
"I can say expect to see more and more events happening in the UK (see World Finals this year), more regular activations and Riot presence at existing events, and continued direct support for our ecosystem. What I’d like to see more of is the community realising the power they have in making the scene succeed," said Synygy of the UKEL.
Voices from the Community
Not all are optimistic. Greggers, a prominent UK ADC, offered a stark perspective: "Personally, I think UK LoL is going to completely die out, with the only thing left being grassroots and fun tournaments. There needs to be a massive change in funding at the top level to make them viable across Europe, and we need teams with established fan bases to come in and drive viewership."
In contrast, there are those who see opportunities amid challenges. Alex Lyndon, an esports student at Staffs Uni, remarked, "I am a big fan of the likes of Ruddy etc capitalising on UK/London culture in their content and marketing, and I think the UK has so much personality to harness in these sort of competitive ways (football culture being the key example). Additionally, with MSI last year and Worlds this year being in UK venues (and things like ESL Birmingham in other titles), there’s HUGE opportunity for strengthening infrastructure for events and tourism that make sure the UK can build a legacy that can thrive, despite us just being a few small islands floating off in the distance compared to other esports hub cities and countries."
Then, there are the calls for returning beloved competitions. Lee Routly, a freelance producer and former associate producer of the UKLC, expressed his hopes: "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." Kieran Holmes-Darby, co-founder of Excel Esports, echoed a similar sentiment, stating, "Bring back Forge of Champions across UK and Ireland."
The Fight for Longevity
In the realm of Dota 2, fans have relished the return of ESL One Birmingham, drawing praise from notable 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." However, the landscape remains uncertain. Gareth, a UK caster, shared his anxieties about the stability of events: "...the battle pass and crowdfunding change with TI, the prize pool has shrunk a bit... it’s not ideal to have one event that’s 99% of the prize pool for the year... You want that spread out across multiple events and titles."
Challenges in Call of Duty Esports
Meanwhile, the Call of Duty scene is navigating tough times, as reflected in the sentiments of fans and analysts alike. Jacob Hale conveyed a sobering outlook: "It’s not easy for UK CoD fans to feel optimistic right now. There is a dwindling number of national players competing at the top level... fans have been left begging for the league to come back to England for years now, and it feels as unlikely as ever that those prayers will be fulfilled." The closure of a Middlesbrough LAN venue adds to the sense of instability, emphasized by Hale: "The most disappointing part about all of this is that... Call of Duty is the most popular esport in the UK, beating out even the likes of Counter-Strike and League of Legends."
As the UK esports scene faces a blend of opportunities and challenges, the community's resilience and passion remain its most formidable assets. The continued support from organizations, players, and fans will be crucial in navigating the pathways to future successes.