The British Esports two-year partnership with tech giants Intel and Dell Technologies is an essential milestone in the UK’s esports community. Since its formation in 2016, British Esports has been earmarked to support grassroots esports in the UK.

Intel and Dell Technologies are designated the ‘Official Technology and Hardware Partner’ of British Esports, one of the UK’s national bodies. The British Esports Federation also has Alienware as its ‘Official Supplier’ of top-notch gaming monitors, PCs and other peripherals. The National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland will also receive gaming equipment.

It’s a no brainer why British Esports is willing to invest in the necessary tools to broaden the UK’s esports sector. Esports in the UK grew annually at about 8.5% between 2016 and 2019. The UK is also home to one of the biggest companies in esports, FACEIT. FACEIT held the 2018 FACEIT London CS: GO Major Championship, which was full of intrigue for esports fans and bettors alike.

Punters who had bet on sites such as HeySpin for Fnatic to qualify for the 2019 IEM Katowice Major during the 2018 Major reaped huge rewards. Even though Fnatic, a leading esports team in the UK, ranked 10th overall, the 2018 Major Championship was a tremendous milestone as it was the first Major hosted by FACEIT.

Over 50% of Students See Esports as a Career Booster

To commence their collaboration, British Esports linked up with Intel and Dell for surveys among students aged 11-17 years. The surveys were to showcase two vital points—the students’ technology learning experiences and the significance of ’21st-century skills’ in future education and potential career opportunities.

The results were astounding from the 700 students aged 11-17 years surveyed through their parents. About 56% agreed that an esports qualification and subject combination would boost their university admission chances.

Better yet, 59% remarked that such a qualification would equip them with hands-on experience in a particular industry, while 52% recognised esports qualification as essential in STEM-related subjects.

The survey also captured the students’ big-picture mindset concerning esports. Besides broader opportunities, students highlighted that transferable skills from esports integration and unique higher education applications would improve their education experience.

What the Esports CEO and Dell Technologies General Manager in the UK Had to Say

CEO of British Esports, Chester King, pointed out that the Intel, Dell and Alienware trio are the national body’s first official partners and suppliers.

He commented, “This partnership will ensure that the national esports performance campus will be equipped with state-of-the-art computing technology, delivering on its promise as the UK’s most advanced esports and education performance and training centre.”

Meanwhile, Steve Young, Dell Technologies General Manager in the UK and Senior Vice President, weighed on the 21st-century digital skills topic. Young noticed a unique trait among young esports gamers, which was their engagement with a game.

Gamers were testing possible scenarios, applying evidence-based strategies and analysing data. “The players showed technical proficiency necessary to play, film, edit, publish and connect with their audience,” Steve commented.

The collaboration of British Esports and the tech magnates will further enhance the former’s vision and values—to nurture talent, build innovation and highlight the UK’s position on the global stage.

Likewise, Dell and Intel will benefit by continuously improving their tech, sustainability and marketing objectives. Players will comment on performance features and graphics display when using Dell and Intel-powered devices, among other aspects. Esports tournaments and competitions in the UK will also allow different people to engage with Intel and Dell devices.

The two-year partnership is but a tip of the iceberg. British Esports aims to attract five official suppliers and five official partners to drive the UK’s esports and education future.