Brand-new North Wales Esports Arena opening doors soon
4 September 2024
Often when we speak and write about esports in the UK, the regions of London and the Midlands are mentioned, as these are heavily focusing on esports as one of the industries of the future. Esports have been growing at a rapid rate all over the United Kingdom in the past few years, though. The Cornwall College Group, for example dominated the British Esports Championships that took place earlier this year.
Another part of the United Kingdom that is making more and more of a name in the UK esports scene is Wales. A growing number of local educational institutes is offering esports and esports-related courses, which helps esports to become a more important part of mainstream life. In that sense, collaboration agreements like the one that was recently signed between the Wales Football Association and Esports Wales are also very valuable. The recent opening of the state-of-the-art North Wales Esports Arena at Coleg Cambria Deeside is a next major step in that direction.
Eyes on esports at Coleg Cambria
Coleg Cambria is a group of educational institutions that has grown into one of the United Kingdom’s leading education providers since 2013. Over the past few years, the group as a whole, which is comprised of five schools across Wales, has also become a pioneer in the field of UK esports. The recent opening of the North Wales Esports Arena therefore fits the group’s ambitions and objectives perfectly. The facility is one of only a handful of further education gaming complexes in the United Kingdom.
“Our aim at Deeside was to create a gaming hub and centre of excellence for our current and prospective students,” explains Lisa Radcliffe, Assistant Principal for Technical Studies at Coleg Cambria, “Alongside this, the development will support the strategic aims of the college by widening access and becoming fully inclusive, helping to increase participation for learners that may feel disengaged or at risk of being NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training). This will all enhance our course programme with leading external stakeholders, creating and contributing to our local community.”
Outfitted by YOYOTECH
The North Wales Esports Arena, the construction of which cost around £ 230.000, was built in collaboration with YOYOTECH, one of the UK’s leading esports solutions providers. As a result, the new arena features 36 YOYOTECH high-spec stations equipped with 17 Intel processors and RTX4070 graphics cards. The PC peripherals are also state-of-the-art, including professional gaming accessories from MSI and AOC 27” 165Hz gaming monitors. The space as a whole has been given two separate desk designs, complete with LED edge lighting and PC locking shelves. The space also features a divider which can split the facility into two to allow separate gaming competitions, lectures and workshops.
“After first meeting with Lisa [Radcliffe] her passion and drive to enhance the learners experience at college was infectious”, says a spokesperson for YOYOTECH, “Together we identified an opportunity to build upon and grow their existing Esports provision to accommodate their expanding course programme.”