Hull's Federation of Sport Gaming Hub officially opens doors
3 December 2025
Did you think we were joking when we wrote earlier this year that Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois got involved in esports in the UK by investing in a local esports project in Hull? Well, think again, because we were dead serious and so is the Federation of Sports, which is the official name of Hull’s newest state-of-the-art Gaming Hub. Recently, its doors were officially opened, with the founders and owners stating their ambition to turn the venue into a social and recreational cornerstone of Hull’s city centre.
Federation of Sport officially launched
Gaming and esports have been growing at rapid rates in the past few years, both in terms of global reach and the number of players all over the world. This is a development with a lot of potential, but can also lead to (especially young) people spending more and more time by themselves in front of a screen. Federation of Sport was founded to counter that trend and to encourage young people to step away from solitary screen time and instead engage in gaming as part of a vibrant, social community. Their Gaming Hub in Hull, hopefully for them the first of many, represents a first step in that direction and the involvement of Courtois should ideally elevate the project to the next level immediately.
"Thibaut’s passion for sim sports aligns perfectly with what we’re building at the Federation of Sport”, says Antonio Tombanane, one of co-founders at Federation of Sport, ““His belief in community through gaming strengthens our mission to create a space where people can connect through shared experiences. Having him on board elevates our project to new heights."
Brand-new venue in Hull
Even before the soft launch of their Gaming Hub in Hull, towards the end of last year, Federation of Sport had already made an ambitious statement. The company said that they were eyeing similar future venues in places like Birmingham and Leeds as, to promote esports in the UK, and outside of the UK as well. This could mean opening Gaming Hubs in places like the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.
For now, there is the Gaming Hub in Hull’s city centre though, and it’s looking promising. It is based at King William House, the former 1970s bank building in Market Place, smack in the middle of Hull’s Old Town. The venue has been transformed into an exciting hub for sports and gaming enthusiasts alike, with advanced gaming PCs, golf and racing simulators, and plenty of consoles to play popular games like EA Sports FC 26 and Rainbow Six. The Federation of Sport Gaming Hub in Hull also features virtual reality escape challenges, team combat experiences and a space for visitors to host esports tournaments.
“The Federation of Sport represents everything I believe in - using technology not just for entertainment but as a way to build communities”, said Courtois earlier this year when his involvement was announced, “[…] As someone who’s passionate about sim sports and e-sports, I see this as an opportunity to inspire young people to connect, compete and collaborate in a positive environment.