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Worlds 2024 esports event to deliver £12m boost to London’s economy Thousands of fans from all over the world are expected to head to the O2 arena on Saturday November 2nd to watch, with London’s business growth and destination agency London & Partners calculating a £12m boost to the London economy from hosting the finals. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has also today welcomed the finals to the capital and celebrated the impact of the growing industry. It will be the largest esports event ever to take place in the UK and will bring more opportunities for growth, talent development and skills for young Londoners. In comparison, Riot said earlier this year at a London & Partners summit that Worlds 2022’s economy impact in North America was $53m, and the Worlds 2023 economic impact in Korea was set to reach $153m. City Hall has also commissioned Arena Consultancy to conduct a new piece of research to gain a deeper understanding of what more London needs to do to become a global centre for esports. Earlier this week, City Hall also convened a panel discussion with partners Fnatic – a London-based esports organisation – and London & Partners. Deputy Mayor for Business and Growth, Howard Dawber, opened the event at the Fnatic HQ in London, with Fnatic CEO Sam Mathews, to champion esports and explore ways to further support esports in the capital. “Esports is crucial to London, we want London to be the sporting capital of the world and the world capital of esports,” Howard said. There's more on our website #esports #london #economy #mayor #worlds #leagueoflegends

UK’s first full-time Gamer-in-Residence hired to play video games with patients in Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children The charity, in conjunction with partners Devolver Digital and NEONHIVE, announced the role at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow. The Gamer-in-Residence will aim to provide children in Scotland’s busiest children’s hospital with their ‘Player Two’ (or someone to game with), helping them find a way to relax, reduce potential feelings of isolation and boredom, and distract them during their time in the hospital. Steven Mair, 26, is the first to take on the Gamer-in-Residence role this year. The role was fully funded by gamers in Scotland, via the Scottish games industry, community organisations and gaming fundraisers. He was previously marketing officer at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, and is now looking for more streamers and gamers to help. It comes after recent medical studies demonstrated a link between playing video games and reduced feelings of anxiety in the hospital, with some even suggesting video games could reduce pain. More on our website #charity #hospital #children #gamer #news

Esports boosts cognition more than sports, finds study The findings are part of the Brain and Body study, a collaboration between Western University, Canada, and the UK’s Science and Industry Museum for the Manchester Science Festival. Over 2,000 participants from around the world registered for the study, which asked them to complete a lifestyle survey followed by brain games that are both fun and accurately measure different aspects of cognition, such as memory, attention, reasoning and verbal abilities. Professor Adrian Owen OBE, FRS, PhD, said: "People who frequently play video games – that is, five or more hours per week for a single type of game – performed cognitively, on average, like people who were 13.7 years younger. "Individuals who engaged infrequently with video games played – less than 5 hours per week across all kinds of games – performed like people 5.2 years younger. "It is important to emphasise that although regular exercise did not improve cognitive functioning, it did seem to affect mental health, leading to lower reported levels of depression and anxiety. We know that physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins in the body, which are thought to produce feelings of euphoria, often referred to as the ‘runner’s high’.” #study #sports #esports #cognition #survey #brain #health

Guild Esports acquired as CEO steps down US-based sports investment firm DCB Sports LLC has acquired UK esports organisation Guild Esports for a cash payment of £100,000. The company has acquired 100% of Guild’s assets and assumed all disclosed liabilities of the esports org, ‘which stand in excess of £2m’. DCB Sports will assume and run the Guild brand through a new entity, Guild Esports and Gaming Ltd, ‘and will be responsible for providing the necessary future working capital to allow the business to operate from a stable financial platform, and further develop its existing partnerships with studios and creatives domestically and abroad’. Guild CEO Jasmine Skee has taken the decision to resign from the company and step down from the board of directors with immediate effect to pursue new opportunities. The Guild board will now consist of Derek Lew and Brian Stockbridge as non-executive directors. #news #acquired #acquisition #ceo #board

The gaming habits of Gen Z students are evolving rapidly, with a 21% monthly increase in UK students gaming spend from 2023 to 2024, according to new research from UNiDAYS. The average UK student now spends £48 per month on gaming, compared to £39.80 last year, contributing to a total market worth £279 million per month, or £3.4 billion annually. The news comes after UK university esports body NSE (National Student Esports) announced Unidays as its new headline sponsor. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/d8jX5ne8 #esports #students #gaming #spend #gamers

‘I was playing League of Legends when my waters broke’ Meet the family that lives and breathes LoL At the 2024 League of Legends World Championship in Berlin, Cecilia Ciocchetti set out to find and speak with the next generation of League of Legends fans. During the Swiss stage, she met a family whose love for the game spanned generations, giving her a unique insight into how the game can cross generations within families. Article link to follow in the description below! #esports #leagueoflegends #family #interview

UK-based esports creative marketing agency Get In has this morning announced the appointment of esports executive Anna Baumann as a strategic advisor. Anna has held roles including Executive Vice President of Esports at RektGlobal/Infinite Reality, Managing Director and General Counsel at Rogue, and offers esports legal services as an attorney. The news comes four months after Nathan Edmonds founded the digital-focused agency. “Anna’s expertise and insights will be instrumental as we scale our operations and elevate our client partnerships,” he said. “Her strategic vision and legal acumen will not only strengthen our team but also enable us to navigate the ever-evolving marketing landscape with confidence." More on our website #esports #agency #advisor #appointment

Irish esports organisation Nativz Gaming have announced a partnership with Play Aid for the 2024/25 Ireland Esports Collegiate Series ahead of World Mental Health Day 2024. In a press release, Nativz said the collaboration ‘represents a commitment to building mental health support for Irish esports students, while supporting the societal challenges surrounding mental wellbeing’. All Student Reps will be trained in psychological first aid, embedding mental health support into local esports societies, making it about both performance and wellbeing. Play Aid is an international non-profit organisation, supported by global men’s health charity Movember. One of the primary initiatives of this partnership is to establish a network of qualified Player Care Coaches, trained in psychological first aid. The free course is open to all aged 16+ and provides insights into mental health disorders, how to spot signs and symptoms of mental ill health, and how to foster open conversations about mental health with friends and peers. It’s available online but also has a selection of face-to-face workshops in the UK, Ireland and Australia. As part of the partnership, Nativz Gaming’s leadership team have recently completed psychological first aid training. More on our website. #esports #news #mentalhealth #worldmentalhealthday

Scottish Esports has launched, billing itself as as ‘the national body dedicated to the growth and development of competitive video gaming in Scotland’. The Community Interest Company (CIC) says it’s focused on supporting casual gamers to esports players competing in teams, and the wider gaming community. It’s been set up by CEO Mark McCready, an esports lecturer who previously worked as the Scottish Liaison Officer at the British Esports Federation, along with Dale R Murray of the Scottish Esports Network and Guild Street Fighter player Assad Suliman as non-executive board members. “We’re not only building a strong and passionate foundation for competitive video gaming in Scotland – we’re building a community,” Mark said. “By delivering national-scale stability, we’re committed to creating a welcoming, safe, and inclusive space where players and teams of all levels can thrive and feel supported. It’s an exciting time for us all to inspire the next generation to learn and explore esports in a more encouraging and positive environment.” There's more on our website #esports #gaming #news #scotland

Pixel Bar Manchester to host Intel’s IEM Rio watch party and Esports News UK 9th birthday celebration, with CS2 challenges & giveaways! Esports News UK has teamed up with Intel Corporation for a special IEM Rio watch party event – and ENUK’s first in the North. Intel and Acer Predatorgaming are hosting a special weekend-long event from Saturday October 12th to Sunday October 13th 2024 from 4pm BST at Pixel Bar, 10 Thomas St, Manchester, M4 1DH. It will be packed full of Counter-Strike 2 esports action, with the Intel Extreme Masters Rio (IEM Rio) 2024 semi-finals broadcast live from Brazil’s Farmasi Arena on the Saturday, and the grand final on the Sunday. Esports News UK will also celebrate its 9th birthday at the venue on the Saturday, with space for the esports community to attend. It’s an ideal event for UK-based CS fans and esports followers. Intel will be taking over the basement of Pixel Bar, with community CS2 wingman mini-tournaments running in the LAN area with casters Affinity and Dweg on the Saturday and Sunday. There will be special giveaways for goodies including a limited edition IEM-engraved Acer notebook. There will also be various special guests in attendance, including streamers and esports personalities to be announced. Register your interest for free tickets to the IEM Rio watch party at Pixel Bar Manchester in the link in the comments below – tickets are limited #esports #event #watchparty #pixelbar #intel #counterstrike #iem