The triumphant Cambria Chimeras, all Level 2 and Level 3 learners in Esports at Coleg Cambria Deeside, were victorious in the Apex Legends Spring Cup.

The three-strong squad – Oliver Pearce, Kyle Tarran and Owen Maynard – beat opposition from across the country, including college and university teams.

British Esports described it as “one of the most exciting cups we have ever run”.

“It was an unbelievable final, which followed weeks of strategizing and working together to get through the rounds,” said Oliver, from Wrexham.

“We are absolutely thrilled given how much we put into this and looking forward to competing in future tournaments.”

Kyle, from Connah’s Quay, said to be crowned number one in the UK – when there were more than 40 groups to navigate – was “an unreal feeling” having been described as “the dark horses” of the competition.

Pentre Halkyn student Owen added: “We all played to our strengths and while there were challenges occasionally and a lot of pressure, we worked hard to win the cup and be the last ones standing.

“We were up against some big names, colleges that are long established with a lot of backing, so it is a huge achievement for us.”

The success comes as Cambria prepares to unveil a new £230,000 gaming complex at its Flintshire site this summer.

Lecturer Lauren Crofts praised her students for their stellar performance in the Spring Cup and said there are exciting times ahead for the Esports programme.

“They put a lot of their own time and effort into this, looking at strategies and game play, and worked really well together as a team,” she said.

“I am so proud of them all, they are a credit to Coleg Cambria and already looking forward to the next tournament!”

She added: “The Esports course has been hugely popular over the last few years and this grant investment will see the introduction of two new gaming arenas, one of which will be a Sim Racing performance area.

“The other will give us more room to look at Shoutcast live media streaming, to develop other skills and game creation, utilising the space and introducing state-of-the-art technology, as well as taking Esports into local primary and secondary schools to explain the wide range of careers out there in this industry.

“We are getting a lot of positive feedback and interest from prospective students so this will be a major USP for us – it’s going to be amazing.”

Lisa Radcliffe, Assistant Principal for Technical Studies, added: “I am beyond proud of our Esports learners who have shown resilience, cooperation, and collaboration throughout this competition – to become champions is an amazing achievement.

“Throughout the programme we have encouraged social interaction and the development of interpersonal skills in learners who could possibly be socially excluded. It is an exciting programme with our new gaming arena being open this September, ready to breed our new champions.”

Esports is a booming multi-billion dollar sector and Cambria Chimeras have already received visits from talent scouts representing some of the world’s top gaming organisations and professional teams, such as Excel Esports.