Esports Wales selects Swansea as first esports hub in South Wales

Esports Wales selects Swansea as first esports hub in South Wales

24 October 2024

A bit over a month ago, at the time of writing, we covered the presentation of the brand-new North Wales Esports Arena, located at Coleg Cambria Deeside in Flintshire (Wales), as it represented a major development for esports in Wales and esports in the UK as a whole. Esports are alive in Wales and not just in the north, either. We say that because recently, Esports Wales, in collaboration with Creative Swansea, selected Swansea as its first official local esports hub in South Wales. To honour the occasion, the new partners have announced their first joint event, an industry panel held at XP Gaming Bar in Swansea on Thursday, October 24th.

Growing esports in Wales

Esports in the UK are booming and Wales is presenting itself more and more as a potential hub for the burgeoning sector in the region. By teaming up with Esports Wales, which is the national body for everything esports in the country, Creative Swansea wants to create a networking event with the objective of further developing esports in Wales. That is also why the event at XP Gaming Bar on October 24th will be free of charge for anyone interested to attend.

The event, which starts at 6PM local time, will revolve around a panel made up of experts from various esports and esports-related sectors, including content creators, game developers and education professionals. By bringing them together with the visitors, the organisers want to foster a unique networking opportunity for people with an interest in the esports industry in South Wales.

“We are excited to partner with Esports Wales for this event, which underscores Creative Swansea’s commitment to fostering innovation within the creative and digital industries”, says councillor Elliot King, Cabinet Member for Culture, Equality and Human Rights, ““Esports and immersive technologies are rapidly reshaping how we think about content creation, experiences, and collaboration. We are delighted Esports Wales has selected XP Gaming Bar and Swansea as their first Esports Wales local hub in South Wales and my thanks to Nerys Evans and Sarah Morgan for their invaluable work in bringing this event to life and helping us push Creative Swansea’s vision forward.”

Funded by government

To reinforce their belief in the potential of esports in Wales, both the Swansea Council and the UK government are supporting the Creative Swansea event at XP Gaming Bar. The latter, for example, has provided financing from their Shared Prosperity find. That way, they want to show that they don’t just see esports in the UK as entertainment, but as a burgeoning industry with considerable economic and educational potential.

“Esports Wales is the national esports federation in Wales”, says John Jackson, CEO at Esports Wales, “Our mission is to foster a strong community, nurture talent, and provide opportunities for gamers of all ages to engage with the world of competitive gaming. Through the Welsh Esports League and the Esports Wales Academy, we aim to develop a sustainable and thriving esports ecosystem that encourages participation at all levels—from grassroots to professional play.”

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