Why do educational institutions invest in esports facilities?

Jackson Armstrong, director of business development at Access Education Group, writes for Esports Insider about why esports has become attractive to educational institutions and how the perception of competitive gaming has changed.

It’s easy to see the appeal of esports. Tournaments are intense, frenetic experiences with players pushed to their limits in their bid to dominate and take home the top prize. There’s an inherent energy and pace to esports that appeals to modern audiences, leading to a wave of new fanbases across genres. What’s more, the games themselves are vibrant, colorful, and rich, providing the perfect platform for edge-of-your-seat moments.

While an esports fan’s “pitch” or “court” is a virtual realm, viewers are attuned to the finer details of the ecosystem, just as they are in other sports. This includes consuming media about the competitive scene and reading patch updates that inform them of the latest meta-strategy.

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The esports ecosystem is vast, built on the foundation of ever-increasing interest in the industry. Look beyond the tournaments and you’ll find teams supporting coaches, nutritionists, marketing teams, finance teams, law firms, content creators, shoutcasters, graphic designers, and more. The gaming industry as a whole has also led to the rise of industry-specific platforms like Twitch, Discord, and YouTube Gaming.

The thing about esports is that it’s not just about playing games. Participants need to be fit and healthy, adhering to health plans and intense training schedules, just like any other sport. As the industry has become more professional, there’s a growing need for players to have a network of support staff in order to function and thrive. Esports may not take place on a running track or a football pitch, but it’s still just as challenging and requires a whole arsenal of skills to succeed.

That is why Access Creative College and other educational institutions are investing in esports facilities.

While recent macroeconomic factors have stagnated the appreciation of esports, the scene still shows promising signs for the future. As noted in UKIE’s 2023 report, the UK has the largest community of student esports players in Europe.

Every year, esports reaches greater milestones. In 2017, 4 million people in the UK watched esports, the Olympics are introducing esports in 2023 with a week of events, and the UK is fast becoming a hub for esports with several high-profile tournaments recently coming to the capital. As a result of these developments and the professionalization of the industry, more esports jobs will need to be filled by trained professionals with the skills needed to perform effectively.

Access Creative College’s Esports course has modules on coaching, event management, business and enterprise, tactics and performance analysis, along with shoutcasting and health and wellbeing. The modules cover everything you need to fill most roles in the industry, while also providing transferable skills so you can branch out into other roles and areas if you wish.

The institution has also worked with real esports professionals and industry figures to develop bespoke esports facilities on campuses, allowing students to practice their new skills in environments that mirror what they would be working on in the industry. ACC’s facilities in Bristol, London and Plymouth are state-of-the-art; equipped by Overclockers with high-end gaming PCs and created to encourage innovation, competition and skill development.

The London campus features an esports ‘super-space’ — a new concept that brings the professional world into the classroom, allowing students to watch esports tournaments live and in person. This unique space helps students turn theoretical situations into practical examples by competing, coaching, shoutcasting, marketing and training, all in one space, under the guidance of expert tutors.

Access Creative College has made this investment nationally because it is clear that esports is here to stay and will continue to grow and develop. Access wants to be a part of that and give those who love esports the knowledge and skills needed to have a thriving career in the industry.

Access Creative College continues to invest in esports, not just in facilities, but also in the Access Aces esports team, curriculum and wider industry.

Access Creative College began in the music sector and has been educating young people for 30 years. In that time, the institution has carefully expanded its offering to meet the interests and passions that will become the careers of tomorrow, bringing in games, media, computing and now esports.

Each development has required a period of listening and learning to become experts in each area, and then creating an offering that meets the needs of the present and the future. It is a privilege to be able to provide an entry point into this incredible sector, and Access Creative College believes that if it can continue to nurture new talent into the industry and directly contribute to its future, its efforts will be worth it.

Click here for more information about Access Creative College’s esports offering.