ESports is a movement that is growing rapidly across the world, and no more so than here in Scotland. In case you have no clue what eSports is, let me fill you in. In simple terms, teams or individuals compete against each other in different online video games, with cash and prizes up for grabs. This can range from a few amateurs playing each other online for a few pounds, to multi-million-dollar tournaments that make a career for a number of ‘professional eSports athletes’. These tournaments are watched by a live audience of thousands as well as tens or hundreds of thousands of people online.
As of this year, eSports has officially landed in Scotland. This introduction has been led by the enthusiastic team at Esports Scotland, who give up their time to run leagues and tournaments on an almost nightly basis. These are well embraced by eSports fans throughout the country who just want to game with like-minded people who are as passionate about competitive gaming as they are. I spoke to owner James Hood about the success of the organisation so far and what he hopes to achieve going forward.
The success of Esports Scotland in just a short space of time has been very impressive. From being a relatively small Facebook page just a few months ago, they have now gathered a loyal following who take part daily, and who are eager for more. According to the owner, the reason for their success is very simple: “The hunger is there. Everybody in Scotland has always loved their games. Nobody has had an outlet before for a competitive scene, and that is what we are coming in to help with.”
However, the organisation is aware that the building blocks for eSports in Scotland need to come from the very bottom. “You either want to try and be competitive, or you don’t. We have to start at the grassroots, because that’s just where we are. You can’t have a good pro team without the grass roots. You can’t have the premiership in England without having divisions one, two, three and four.
Now that they have a following they are trying to energise these people to expand the grassroots level and become even more passionate than they already are. “We’re going into schools now, teaching people. People use to go to the arcade machines back in the 80s and then people started to play again at home when consoles came around. It’s trying to get these committed people to try and find each other and people can start creating their own teams. If you want to try and take it to the next level, then we’re here to help you.”
Despite their great successes so far, James maintains that there is still a long way to go. He says that the aim of the organisation is: “To get eSports recognised as an official sport in Scotland. We want to try and create a grassroots level and a professional level. Anyone that’s got a passion for eSports, we want to give that person a place where they can show their talent.”
The organisation recently put on their first large event, which was a huge success. BIGFest 2018, held in Edinburgh, was a chance for gaming enthusiasts to come together and play new releases and retro games. Merchandise was also on sale from vendors, while fans could watch the finals of the Scottish ESports League live.
If you would like to get involved or find out more, you can go to https://www.facebook.com/eSportsSCO or https://esportsscotland.co.uk
