Esports is growing throughout the world today thanks to new inventions and a growing reach of internet access. In the UK, esports have continued to gain prominence over the years, with more people professing their love for the newfound sport.
Today, more than 1.2 million British adults claim to be huge fans of esports, and the number keeps increasing each year. The esports industry is said to also contribute an estimated £111.5m to the UK’s GDP each year.
That begs the question: why is esports becoming more popular in the United Kingdom? This article explores the emergence of esports in the country and how the industry has grown into what it is today. Learn about the UK’s thriving esports industries and some of the biggest players that have made their mark on the global stage. All information and analysis was provided by Tips.gg, an esports resource
Brief History of Esports in the United Kingdom
Esports may be a thriving industry in the United Kingdom today, but this wasn’t always the case. The sport was once considered a mere pass time, with little to no professionalism attached to it. There are conflicting reports about the exact year people began to participate in esports tournaments in the UK. However, most people agree that the origin of esports can be traced back to the 1980s when local competitions. At the time, competitive gaming enthusiasts organized local competitions and watch parties that soon began to attract crowds.
Esports continued to grow throughout the 1990s. More esports matches and tournaments drew substantial crowds and gained significant media coverage. Quake and Counter-Strike became endearing titles in the hearts of players and local spectators.
In the early 2000s, the UK’s esports ecosystem began to gain worldwide recognition as players participated in international competitions and earned worldwide recognition. More digital advancements in the 2010s led to the invention of popular online streaming platforms like Twitch which helped to boost interest and participation in esports even further. Thanks to this technology, players can now reach an even wider global audience and interact with fans around the world.
Today, the UK has produced some of the most successful esports players and teams in the world, establishing itself as a force to reckon with in the global competitive gaming market.
Pioneering Organizations
The development, growth, and success of esports in the United Kingdom can be attributed to some organizations within the country. These include:
Insomnia Gaming Festival
The Insomnia Gaming Festival is an iconic esports event that dates back to 1999. The festival hosted a plethora of local esports tournaments and created a fun-filled, competitive environment for aspiring players to showcase their talent. Today, the Insomnia Gaming Festival is credited for laying the foundation for community gaming in the United Kingdom.
Fnatic
Fnatic was established by Sam Mathews and Anne Mathewson on July 23, 2004 in London. It is one of the most successful esports teams in the world and has won more tier 1 esports matches than any other team in the world.
The team has produced some of the most talented players across different game titles. It made history in 2011 by becoming the first organization to sign a professional League of Legends Team.
Excel Esports
Excel Esports was established in 2014 and is one of ten teams participating in the League of Legends European Championship. The London-based organization also has active rosters in FIFA and Valorant and has represented the UK in global tournaments, further propelling esport’s popularity within the nation.
Growth of Esports
Esports began to experience considerable growth in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At this time, locals gathered in small groups to watch talented players compete.
By the end of the decade, the UK esports scene had grown beyond small gatherings to concert-like crowds, players began to form teams, and tournaments were more organized.
Two classic games that ultimately became fan-favorites during this period were Counter-Strike and Warcraft III. The former, in particular, became a classic hit and grew a cult-like following. Other titles like FIFA and League of Legends also emerged at the time and became instant hits.
UK Esports Talents
The UK has produced 4,661 professional esports players and some of them rank among the topmost talents in the world. These players have been awarded a total of $39,608,125.31 in prize money across 6,893 tournaments.
Top Earning UK Players Overview
Below are the top 3 players that have earned the most money from esports in the United Kingdom:
Jaden Ashman
Jaden “Wolfiez” Ashman holds the record as the highest earning UK esports player with a combined earning of $1,367,708.07 since he turned pro. The 19 year old pro is ranked the 93rd highest earning player in the world and has earned all of his money playing 57 Fortnite tournaments.
Wolfiez made headlines in 2019 when he became the first and youngest professional UK esports player to earn over a million dollars in a year at the age of 15. He started out his career playing as an independent before teaming up with exceL eSports and Lazarus.
Harry Pearsons
Harry “Vieno” Pearsons comes in second with a combined earning of $728,238.46 from 67 Fortnite tournaments, making him the 234th highest paid player in the world. Vieno started his esports journey in 2020 as an independent before teaming up with Tundra Esports, Falcons Esports, and his current team, 4Elements Esports.
He is a 15-time tournament champion, 8-time runner up, and has finished 3rd in two tournaments. He earned his largest prize money ($150,000) from FNCS: Chapter 3 Season 2 – Grand Finals: Europe on May 29, 2022
Henrik McLean
Henrik “Hen” McLean has earned $721,122.84 from 96 Fortnite tournaments throughout his esports career, which makes him the 241st highest earning player in the world. He earned his largest payout in 2021 when he emerged as champion of FNCS: 2021 Grand Royale – EU.
The 5-year veteran earned $524,177.84 as an independent player before playing briefly for Guild Sports in 2022. He currently plays for Become Legends and has earned $164,400 with the team in less than a year.
Top Rewarding Games
UK players have endeared themselves to some of the most iconic games in the esports world. The top 3 most rewarding games are:
Fortnite
Fortnite remains the UK’s highest paying game. With a combined total payout of $7,700,133.67 to 481 players, only the United States tops the UK in total Fortnite earnings ($46,076,172.21).
Rockets League
Coming in at a distant second is the Rocket League, which has awarded $2,761,796.35 to 327 players. The UK ranks third in total Rocket League earnings, behind France ($3,990,445.13) and the United States ($9,455,081.07). Kyle “Scrub Killa” Robertson is the highest paid Rockets League player in the UK and the 23rd in the world, with a combined earning of $293,398.
Call of Duty
Call of Duty: Warzone rounds up the top 3 with a total payout of $2,246,949.30 to 137 players. Four UK players rank in top 10 of highest paid COD players in the world, and Thomas “Tommey” Trewren sits atop this world ranking, with $399,313.67 earned throughout his career.
Major Esports Events in the United Kingdom
The UK has experienced a growing increase in UK-based esports matches and tournaments since the mid-2010s, drawing the attention of millions of fans around the world. These are some of the most popular and well-recognized tournaments that have shaped the UK esports landscape in the last 10 years.
League of Legends World Championship (Quarter Finals)
The League of Legends World Championship made a stop at the Wembley SSE Arena in 2015. The event became the biggest esports event in the UK at the time, with live coverage from the BBC.
The tournament drew 4.2 million live viewers and remains one of the most successful League of Legends competitions to this day, according to esports stats from Riot Games official website.
Dota 2 ESL One Birmingham 2018
ESL hosted its first ever ESL One Dota Major event in the United Kingdom in 2018. The big event was held at Arena Birmingham and quickly became the fastest selling Dota 2 tournament in history at the time, with over 1,000 tickets sold in the first five minutes of sale.
The event attracted top esports teams around the world, like OpTic Gaming, Team Liquid, and Geniuses who competed for a piece of the $1,000,000 prize pool. Russian team Virtus.Pro emerged as champions, with a $500,000 take-home prize.
League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational 2023
League of Legends returned to the UK after 8 years for its MSI tournament. The historic event, which was held at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, hosted 13 teams, making it the second biggest League of Legends International tournament in history.
Esports teams T1 and JDG’s upper bracket games broke the record for the most watched Mid-Season Invitational tournament, peaking at 2.3 million viewers.
Apex Legends Global Series 2023
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park welcomed 60 international teams to compete at the Apex Legends Global Series in February, 2023. The arena was parked with thousands of fans who witnessed TSM’s emergence as champions of ALGS’ first split playoffs.
The competition returned on July 13 to 16 for Split 2, with DarkZero Esports edging out TSM to win the $300,000 top prize money. ALGS has the UK on its esports schedule again this year and will return to London for Split 3.
Conclusion
The United Kingdom continues to develop into one of esports’ strongest hubs, thanks to the rising number of talents it produces and its growing fanbase. While there’s still some work to be done to overtake the big players in the global market, there are no doubts that the future of esports in the country looks pretty exciting.
