The global esports market is estimated to be worth over $1 billion and will reach $5 billion by 2029. In the UK, the esports market is set to double in size between 2020 and 2029. In 2024 the UK market generated a revenue of $91.7 million and is expected to reach $341.4 million by 2030.
North East England is a growing force in the esport market, boasting fantastic esport courses, meet-ups and esport companies such as Newcastle-based Viperio and Hitmarker, the largest gaming and esports jobs platform in the world.
Located in our region is the National Esports Performance Campus (NEPC). It is the home of British Esports and consists of state of the art offices and contemporary classrooms which foster collaborative learning and innovation. Performance rooms serve as incubators for honing competitive gaming skills, featuring specialised training areas.
NEPC also hosts National and International competitions, including the UK Student Champs Final where some of the country’s best young gamers battle for glory across some of the biggest Esports titles, including Overwatch 2, League of Legends, VALORANT and Rocket League. The champs continue to be a cornerstone of educational Esports development in the UK. This year, NEPC welcomed eight of the UK’s very best student Esports teams for the thrilling culmination of the Student Champs season which saw 750 teams and 3,000 gamers play over 13,000 games.
More recently, British Esports has announced it will establish the UK’s national gaming and Esports arena in Sunderland following multimillion-pound funding. The Sunderland arena will be the first of its kind in Europe and aims to capitalise on the growing popularity of computing gaming as a competitive sports. Set to open in 2026. It will feature live events, elite competition, and immersive audience experiences, with facilities including a 200-seat theatre, a 17m-wide LED screen, broadcast, content and editing studios, retail and hospitality, performance rooms and an outdoor activation space.
Technology clusters and top talent
Our skilled digital workforce of over 32,720 talented people, outstanding business support clusters and networks, state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge innovators and superb digital infrastructure are all reasons why gaming and esports organisations are looking to North East England.
Our tech clusters and networks provide an unrivalled eco-system to support start-up and growing companies moving to the area through events, mentoring, funding and collective problem-solving. Our games development.
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are revolutionising esports by creating immersive experiences. AR blends digital elements with the real world, enhancing gameplay, while VR offers fully immersive virtual environments. The wider North East tech sector has strengths in both AR and VR with several innovative companies and assets in the region, primed to support esports.
Skills
The region’s five universities and excellent higher education colleges provide a strong pipeline of talent for the esport sector. We have over 68,000 students who are studying Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics subjects in our universities.
Moveover, the rise of esports at the educational level is creating new career paths, from coaching and casting to programming and marketing. Our region’s education institutions and local delivery partners are embracing this and are offering specialist courses in emerging technology, games design, esports, and immersive tech.
These include:
- Durham University – their esports hub
- Sunderland College who is leading the way in digital innovation and has a esports studio. The college is working with Aim Awards, ESL, the British E-sports Association and UKIE to deliver the UK’s first college esports qualification. The college currently offers a Level 3 esports Extended Diploma and launched its first Level 2 and Level 3 esports courses last September – one of only 13 colleges across the country to deliver Next Gen Skills Academy qualifications.
- Alongside the Newcastle United Foundation, Newcastle College has launched an interactive esports programme of one and two year BTEC Level 2 and 3 diplomas for students.
- Gateshead College offers a Level 3 qualification covering the fundamentals of games, esports and live streaming.
In addition, the North East’s next generation of digital experts are enjoying new opportunities at the cutting edge of eSTEM learning with Newcastle United Foundation in its new esports arena.
The £8million state-of-the-art esports arena has recently opened in Newcastle and is part of the Newcastle United Foundation’s NUCASTLE community hub and will support Newcastle College’s new esports study programme. It is hoped the course and access to the facility will give the next generation insight into the industry and the tools to have a successful career.
Meet Ups
There is a growing number of meet ups for non-competitive game play across the region through the college and university esports teams. This includes:
- Durham University Esports and Gaming (DUEG)
- Team Sunderland Esports at the University of Sunderland
- Teesside Esports Society at the University
- The Northumbria Vikings at Northumbria University
- Video gaming and esport society at Newcastle University
Connectivity
With exceptional digital connectivity and fantastic air, rail, sea and road networks, North East England is the perfect location to reach European and international markets. The region has a huge range of office and studio space available at business parks and in city centres, as well as opportunities for bespoke workspace solutions.
Esport organisations choosing to locate in North East England will benefit from a wide range of business support and cluster networks primed to offer guidance and advice across a range of topics.
To support a smooth transition to the region, Invest North East England can provide a range of services, including property searches, data on skills and guidance on incentives, as well as making introductions to specialist networks that can offer guidance and links to potential customers, opportunities and research and development support.
