Plymouth's Babcock Esports Arena finally opens its doors
19 March 2025
Earlier this year, the city of Plymouth, in collaboration with football club Plymouth Argyle, the Argyle Community Trust and several others, announced the upcoming opening of the brand-new Babcock Esports Arena at The Hub, at Foulston Park in Plymouth. And now, about a month and a half later, the state-of-the-art esports facility has officially opened, not even two weeks after The Hub itself opened its doors. The Babcock Esports Arena is set to grow into a regional hub for students passionate about gaming, technology and digital innovation, and for esports in the UK in general.
Unique in the United Kingdom
“State-of-the-art esports facility, providing cutting-edge gaming, education and career development opportunities in the rapidly growing video gaming and esports industry”. That’s how the official Foulston Park website introduced the recently opened Babcock Esports Arena in Plymouth. As part of Plymouth Argyle’s charity, the previously mentioned Argyle Community Trust, the arena will provide gaming, education and career development opportunities in esports and gaming, with the goal of nurturing grassroots talent from the UK in every part of the industry.
According to the developers behind the project, the Babcock Esports Arena is the most advanced esports facility in the entire country. It has been developed and designed with the support of leading industry experts and has been equipped with the latest in gaming and esports tech. This includes twenty high-spec gaming stations consisting of high-performance PCs, gaming consoles and professional gaming chairs and peripherals by Yoyotech.
“The launch of the Argyle Community Trust and City College Plymouth Esports Academy marks the beginning of a new era for students passionate about gaming, technology and digital innovation”, says Gareth Harries, Head of Education at the Argyle Community Trust, “Esports is more than just competitive gaming – it’s a global industry that demands teamwork, strategic thinking and leadership. The Academy will equip students with the skills, knowledge and qualifications needed to thrive in this dynamic sector, whether as professional players, content creators, event managers or industry leaders.”
Focus on young people and parents
The programmes and events at the Babcock Esports Arena, very much like the wider Hub where the facility is located, focuses primarily on young people and their parents. This also becomes clear when looking at the facility as a whole, which aims to become a centre for education as well as a focal point for local gamers. Visitors, for example, have access to a soft play zone with a toddler area, a 3-story junior play structure and a mini penalty shootout area. The venue also offers opportunities to organise parties, as well as a dedicated youth zone.
“The esports facility at The Hub represents a major step forward in our mission to provide innovative, engaging, and inclusive opportunities for young people in Plymouth”, says Mark Lovell, Chief Executive Officer at the Argyle Community Trust, 2Esports is more than just gaming – it is about education, teamwork, career development and social connection. We are proud to be delivering a facility that will inspire and empower young people, helping them build skills for the future and access exciting new career pathways.”