Amidst the Brexit bedlam comes a glimmer of hope for us all: the official British eSports Association launches today.
After receiving authority from the government, the British eSports Association has today been established, launching at its new home at Pinewood Studios. The organisation will act as the National Governing Body for eSports in the UK, and will work in conjunction with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The organisation hopes to help and represent players at all levels, build a grassroots competitive gaming scene to nurture talent, support professional gamers, and provide infrastructure to create “future British global champions”, including the creation of a dedicated National Training Centre for eSports.
Jules Robinson, Head of Business Development at Pinewood Studios, said:
“The establishment of the British eSports Association is an important initiative in furthering the credibility of the eSports industry in the UK. Pinewood is excited to be part of this National Governing Body for eSports and is aiming to have a new National Training Centre for eSports to help with grassroots and future British Champions.”
The British eSports Association is a not-for-profit organisation, and will be chaired by Andy Payne OBE. Payne was awarded his OBE in 2011 for services to the UK computer games industry. He plans to work with acting CEO Chester King over the next three months on a “consultation”, during which the organisation will seek advice from individuals, teams, games publishers, and broadcasters in the UK eSports industry.
Speaking at the launch, Payne said:
“I am an admirer of the work of other sports associations such as British Cycling, and I am very confident that if we welcome and embrace all parties in the UK eSports scene, we can deliver a range of benefits to all players, from professional to amateur in the UK over time. These are exciting times in eSports and the time is right to build this organisation from the grassroots up.”
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
