KitKat’s Sweet Partnership with Esports World Cup Kicks Off This Summer

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■ British students will be looking to beat their rivals from the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine in the VALORANT video game on July 14.
■ This university offers unique and specific training in esports, a sector that is expected to turn £234 million in the United Kingdom by 2028.
■ UNIVERSITY Esports Masters is the season finale of UNIVERSITY Esports, a global project involving more than 100,000 students from all over the world.

The United Kingdom wants to make its mark at the pinnacle of esports in the university environment. A team of students from Staffordshire University will compete to become the European champion of UNIVERSITY Esports Masters (UE Masters), the largest video game competition between universities globally.

The British players, part of the Korean Pop Superstars (KPS) team, have qualified for the European Grand Final of the tournament, where they will fight for victory against their rivals from NUPESU (NPS), from the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine in VALORANT. The clash, which will be played in online format on July 14, can be watched live on the UE Masters Twitch channel (twitch.tv/uemasters).

Esports adventure begins in Staffordshire

Staffordshire University is one of the universities that has shown the most support for the growth of the esports and gaming industry in the UK. Young people interested in pursuing a career in competitive gaming have the opportunity to study at an award-winning school and learn how to organize small and large-scale esports tournaments, events and productions and how to adapt to clients outside of gaming.

Within its curriculum, Staffordshire University offers the BA (Hons) Esports degree, a unique training in the country that combines the production side (digital media and broadcasting) with practical experience in business, marketing event management and the theory-based community and cultural studies aspects of the esports industry.

Gaming and video game competitions are positioned as one of the fastest growing sectors of the entertainment industry year on year globally. According to the statistics portal Statista, “the United Kingdom is experiencing a surge in Esports popularity, with a growing number of tournaments, teams, and dedicated arenas.”

The same source forecasts that the esports market in the UK will reach revenues of £183.3 million in 2024, with a penetration rate of 27.9%. By 2028, it estimates revenues of £234 million and a market share of 33.1%.
Beyond of a video game competition

UE Masters, supported by Riot Games, is the conclusion of the UNIVERSITY Esports season, a global program with a presence in 26 countries on four continents and involving more than 100,000 students from 2,000 universities.

The main objectives of UNIVERSITY Esports are to create a sense of community among players from all over Europe, to give them the opportunity to compete in high quality international tournaments and to provide avenues for young people to develop a career within the esports world, as well as to find a place to learn and enhance their skills.

In the UK and Ireland, UNIVERSITY Esports, a project organized by NUEL (a GGTech Entertainment’s company), has celebrated its 13th Season. The winners of its Winter Split, such as Staffordshire University, have been the national representatives in the current edition of UE Masters.

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BLAST, the global esports entertainment company, and British Esports, the national body for esports in the UK, have announced a strategic partnership during a landmark year for the UK industry.

This collaboration will focus BLAST and British Esports efforts on political lobbying, grassroots development, education, careers, and professional development. The partnership comes during a historic year for the UK esports industry, with a record number of tier one esports events taking place, helping to position the region as a global hub for esports and gaming.

With the UK holding an 6% share of the global esports market and the global sector expected to reach $1.6 billion by the end of this year, this partnership aims to capitalise on this momentum and foster further growth.
Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST, said: “This partnership with British Esports is a pivotal step in our mission to support the esports ecosystem in the UK. By focusing on key pillars together, we aim to create a sustainable and inclusive environment that encourages growth and professional development at every level. This year alone, the world’s biggest game publishers are choosing the UK as a destination for their esports ecosystems and arena events, helping position the region as a global hub for esports and big-scale events.

This partnership with British Esports will allow us bridge the gap between tier one arena events and grassroots esports.”
Chester King, CEO of British Esports, said: “2024 is a landmark year for esports in the UK as we host some of the most iconic global esports events.

This is an incredible opportunity to leave a legacy from grassroots to professional that promotes the UK as a leading global destination for esports. That is why we were thrilled when Robbie and the team at BLAST visited our National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland earlier this month to finalise our partnership. This collaboration between two leading British esports organisations will not only help to solidify the UK as a leading hub for esports but also ensure that we are nurturing the next generation of talent and providing them with the tools and opportunities they need to succeed.”

The partnership comes in a month where London is set to host two tier one esports arena events in consecutive weeks, with the BLAST Premier Spring Final taking place in Wembley Arena this week and the RLCS London Major in Copper Box Arena next week. These combined events will see more than 25,000 fans watch live esports events in-person in the United Kingdom in June alone.
To mark the launch of the partnership, Robbie Douek, CEO for BLAST, recently met Dave Martin, SVP for British Esports, for a tour of the National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland.

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From August 10 – 18, 16 top Counter-Strike (CS) teams will battle it out during Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Cologne 2024 for a share of the $1,000,000 prize pool, a win in the race to secure the Intel® Grand Slam V, and the coveted trophy. Today, we are thrilled to share with you the full lineup of teams competing in the celebratory event.

IEM tournaments are the pinnacle of esports competition for players worldwide and are at the heart of excitement for fans from around the globe. This year, we are celebrating our 10 year anniversary at the LANXESS arena as the final three days of IEM Cologne 2024 will once again take place in the iconic and packed-out arena in Cologne, Germany.

Also dubbed the Cathedral of Counter-Strike, the event’s significance lies in its long-lasting traditions and ability to consistently deliver legendary moments. This year, everyone is invited to go on a trip down memory lane and to experience the world’s best CS teams to-date playing CS2 for the first time on stage in Cologne.

The teams competing at IEM Cologne 2024 are:

• Team Spirit (IEM Katowice 2024 winner)
• FaZe Clan (IEM Chengdu 2024 winner)
• MOUZ (ESL Pro League Season 19 winner)
• G2 Esports (IEM Dallas 2024 winner)
• Team Vitality (ESL World Ranking Global)
• Natus Vincere (ESL World Ranking Global)
• Astralis (ESL World Ranking Global)
• Virtus.pro (ESL World Ranking Global)
• ALTERNATE aTTaX (Online Qualifier Germany)
• HEROIC (ESL World Ranking Europe)
• Eternal Fire (ESL World Ranking Europe)
• Team Falcons (ESL World Ranking Europe)
• Complexity Gaming (ESL World Ranking North America)
• 9z Globant (ESL World Ranking South America)
• The MongolZ (ESL World Ranking Asia)
• FlyQuest (ESL World Ranking Oceania)
• Team Liquid (ESL World Ranking Global)
• Imperial Esports (ESL World Ranking Global)
• FURIA Esports (ESL World Ranking Global)
• BIG (ESL World Ranking Global)
• BetBoom Team (ESL World Ranking Global)
• paiN Gaming (ESL World Ranking Global)
• MIBR (ESL World Ranking Global)
• SAW (ESL World Ranking Global)