Staffordshire University’s Esports Investment

Expansion Plans

Staffordshire University just announced their plan to make a major investment in the expansion of their esports program.  With an investment of GBP 2.9 million pounds, they seek to build a new esports arena and an esports studio with dedicated broadcast galleries. 

This expansion is set to be completed by spring 2024. The new esports facilities will be developed in collaboration with industry experts and students and they will be equipped by Panasonic and EVS with 80 new gaming and esports devices. 

Several university officials have expressed their excitement about this expansion, which will allow students access to the best technology available for their development.

 “Creating next-generation environments and experiences on our campuses is central to our 2030 strategic plan. Professor Raheel Nawaz, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Digital Transformation at Staffordshire University

Esports Program 

 Staffordshire University was the first UK institution to offer a specialized esports degree five years ago. The esports degree is a combination of the production side, digital media and broadcasting with practical experience in business, marketing and event management.

On their final project, students in the Esports course have been working with important companies like Alpine, a car manufacturer company, and a team that competes in Formula One.

This university joins other universities in the United Kingdom with special esports programs, such as Sheffield Hallam University, University of Chichester and University of Sunderland among others and the announcement of this expansion is exciting news for the development of the esports industry.

There are no laws in England yet that apply to the esports industry. Therefore, esports currently operate in a similar manner to traditional sports under the existing legal framework. Esports franchises will have similar legal requirements to traditional professional sports teams and bodies, such as support for player contracts, protection of intellectual property, and the establishment of the franchise from the start. With investments like this, one can expect new and specific regulations for this emerging industry.

Image by: Freepik