BFBS Pro League, UK's newest league for Armed Forces
27 May 2025
We often write about the growing role of UK esports in education, but that is not the only sector where the added value of esports is becoming gradually clearer. The British armed forces have started to embrace esports as well, both as a form of entertainment and an addition to existing training programs. Just a year ago, for example, Activision signed the UK Armed Forces Covenant and recently, the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) announced the launch of their very own esports league for members of the UK armed forces community, called the BFBS Pro League.
Brand-new BFBS Pro League
While an exact date for the inaugural edition of the BFBS Pro League has not been revealed yet, we do know that qualifiers are set to start soon and that it will conclude with a live event in September 2025. The tournament will be available exclusively for members of the UK armed forces community. This includes armed forces personnel and their direct family members, but also reservists, cadets, Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel, veterans, MOD civil servants, and members of the bereaved community (these are people who have suffered the death of a loved one who was part of the UK armed forces community). The minimum age for participation has been set at 13 years and the first edition of the BFBS Pro League will feature one title, namely Rocket League.
"It was clear that Esports were becoming wildly popular with the military community and globally”, says Ben Chapman, Chief Executive at BFBS, “Gaming and Esports bring people together and connect them with shared passions, and these elements underpin so much of our work at BFBS. Esports also encourage healthy competition and are so popular to watch – we can't wait to build our leaderboard and a whole new community of gamers."
£ 15.000 prize pool
Apart from the conditions for participations we mentioned earlier, there are not many other rules to take into account for people interested in competing in the upcoming BFBS Pro League. Registrations are currently open to players of all skill levels and everyone will have a chance to compete for a share of the £ 15.000 prize pool. Besides that, there will also be a host of other prizes, including gaming PCs and game credits. The organisation has already announced that every member of the top 100 of the BFBS Pro League will receive a prize.
"We are delighted that BFBS is stepping up to the plate and bringing the UK's defence community together through Esports”, says Lieutenant General Tom Copinger-Symes, Deputy Commander, Strategic Command, “Gaming is a vital means of engaging and entertaining the UK's Armed Forces and has great potential in developing and nurturing skills that are applicable to the working lives of so many in the defence sector."
The inaugural edition of the BFBS Pro League will be organised in collaboration with UK-based esports event organiser EPIC.LAN, who will provide event operations and planning support, as well as the platform to host the tournament.