West Midlands partners with Global Esports Federation to expand the sector in the region

The West Midlands has agreed on a 10-year strategic framework agreement (SFA) with the Global Esports Federation (GEF), accelerating the region’s commitment to driving international growth in the rapidly developing industry, and supporting the UK’s credentials as an international esports centre.

Esports (or electronic sports) is a term used to describe competitive video gaming. It’s different from standard video gaming in that esports is competitive (human-vs-human) and usually has an engaging spectator element to it, like traditional sports.

Esports tournaments usually consist of amateur or professional gamers competing against one another for a cash prize.

The partnership will see the West Midlands join a network of global hubs, including GEF’s headquarters Singapore and continued developments in Brazil, China, Türkiye, Japan, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas, among others.

The agreement spanning 10 years – led by the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) – will cement the region’s position as a hotbed for the esports and gaming industry, with the West Midlands already responsible for one quarter of the UK’s output in the sector.

The global gaming market was valued at US$198.40bn in 2021 and it is expected to reach US$339.95bn by 2027. In the UK, the market reached a value of £7.16bn in 2021, representing approximately 3.5 per cent of the global market. The sector, therefore, presents a significant economic opportunity for the UK, which this partnership will capitalise on by focusing on three key areas – employment and skills, policy, and major events.

The Strategic Framework Agreement commits to progressing a number of key areas, including:

• The commissioning of an independent report into the esports sector in the region, assessing the potential for the sector’s growth and its economic impact.
• A bid to host the GEF’s flagship Global Esports Games in 2027/2028.
• The region playing host to the Global Esports Tour from 2023 through to 2026.
• The development of a range of initiatives focused on education, health, and the future of work – harnessing GEF and the region’s shared principles of integrity, inclusion, diversity, and innovation.
• The establishment of a GEF Innovation and Research Centre (IRC) to catalyse further collaboration between the private sector and the universities in the West Midlands, spurring innovation in gaming and immersive technologies.
• Collaboration with the region’s leading games developers to showcase West Midlands talent.
• The hosting of an annual GEF World Forum in the West Midlands, focused on areas including health, wellness, education, youth leadership, careers and the future of work, and tangible impact for local communities.

The announcement precedes the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships and the Commonwealth Esports Forum in partnership with the Commonwealth Games Federation which will take place in Birmingham this August. Together, this partnership and the Championships will turbocharge growth and prosperity in the UK esports industry, which is already the fastest growing tech sector in the country. The Championships will be the foremost esports event since the Global Esports Games in Singapore in December 2021, which attracted over 500 million viewers from across the globe.

The partnership builds on the West Midlands’ position as a gaming and esports hub within the UK, with the region playing host to a total of 130 games companies – predominantly clustered around Leamington Spa – including the likes of Codemasters, Ubisoft, Playground, Sega Hardlight and others.

The sector employs a workforce of more than 3,000 games professionals in the region. The University of Warwick has also been recently named the UK Esports University of the Year for the fourth successive year, following significant investment in state-of-the-art facilities and talent.

Paul J. Foster, Chief Executive Officer, Global Esports Federation said: “The GEF President, Chris Chan and the entire Board of the Global Esports Federation have earmarked strategic global hubs as anchors for our development of esports, sports, immersive technologies, innovative entertainment, and adjacent sectors. The leadership in the West Midlands continues to demonstrate a strong collective ambition and the diverse capabilities of this dynamic region. Through our partnership with the Commonwealth Games Federation for the upcoming Commonwealth Esports Championships and this historic Strategic Framework Agreement, we are proud to bring our support, expertise, and strong, tangible commitment to this region, unlocking a decade of limitless opportunities and accelerating growth for the people and businesses who are lucky to call it home.”

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said:  “I was thrilled when we confirmed that the first ever Commonwealth Esports Championships would be staged this summer right here in the West Midlands and this exciting partnership with the Global Esports Federation showcases the scale of our region’s ambition – to be a global leader in what is the world’s fastest growing entertainment sector. We’re fortunate to already have huge gaming names like Sega Hardlight and Codemasters on our doorstep all contributing to the West Midlands’ growing status as an esports hub. Now we’re taking the next step by partnering with the Global Esports Federation to drive investment and create high-quality, state-of-the-art jobs in this incredibly dynamic sector. These are momentous times for the West Midlands, and I cannot wait to see this sector continue to thrive.”