Game-Changing Esports Event to Spark Revolution of Sports Spectating In Scotland as Gifted Gamers Competed in Futuristic 5G Environment
The blockbuster, 4 day, grand finals event was supported by Tay Cities Deal Tay5G which aims to enhance economic, social, skills and business opportunities in the region which takes in Dundee, Angus, Fife and Perthshire.
As the birthplace of smash-hit gaming title Grand Theft Auto, Dundee is set to further cement its place as Europe’s gaming capital by hosting a ground-breaking event which is sending gaming enthusiasts into a frenzy as they look to gain a glimpse at a new era of sports entertainment.
The four-day Scottish Esports League 4 (SEL4) grand finals extravaganza, took place between 18-21 November 2021. It saw the nation’s most talented gamers square up in Dundee Contemporary Arts to battle it out in the free-to-attend event. Crucially, they got the chance to game via Dundee City Council’s private 5G network. The event was a year in the making and was designed to give the gamers a glimpse into the future where gaming on the move will start to become a reality, allowing laptop and mobile device users to compete against each other whilst out and about.
The event was one of a series of use case trials within the Tay Cities Deal Tay5G project. It was supported as part of the Scottish Government's £2m investment to get people and businesses using fifth generation mobile communications in Tay Cities Region.
In addition to mobile gaming, 5G supported live broadcast over Twitch to showcase the most exhilarating moments as the gamers vied for a share of the SEL record-breaking £11,000 prize pot.
The SEL4 online group stage commenced on 27 September, with 44 team clans going to war to contest the 10 sought-after spots at the finals which competing across five gaming titles: Rocket League, Counter Strike Global Offensive, Rainbow Six Siege, League of Legends and Valorant. In addition to the main events, Esports Scotland agreed with American video game developer Blizzard to run the ‘Call of Duty Esports Scotland Cup’, a standalone PC tournament played on controllers on the opening day of the grand finals. Alongside a chance to spectate the action, fans got the chance to be part of the rapidly growing eSports world and the opportunities it will create within Scotland’s thriving digital sector.
As one of the event’s ‘Easter eggs’, a specifically designed skills section was created at the venue and showcased career prospects within this multi-billion-pound industry. Attendees had the opportunity to discover more about Scotland’s growing eSports industry from Dundee City Council, the Scotland 5G Centre, the Scottish Futures Trust, Dundee and Angus College, University of Dundee and Abertay University - the first British university to offer a degree in gaming and Europe’s top ranked institution for games education.
The SEL4 finals played an instrumental role in building the profile of Dundee’s eSports scene whilst plans to open Scotland’s first bespoke arena in the area continue to be scoped by ambitious company, Northern Lights Arena Europe (NLAE) that is looking to create an eSports arena in Dundee.
Boosted by a strong community of top partners and sponsors including A.G. Barr, Lenovo, Currys, and GT Omega, SEL4 was the perfect platform for Esports Scotland to inspire young gamers and build a legacy for the future by emphasising the cognitive benefits and career opportunities available through gaming. Building on a momentous year for the Scottish Esports League, plans were are progressed to host a junior tournament to nurture the nation’s next generation of eSports stars hoping to follow the lead of Josh Martin and Adam Ryan by competing on a global stage.
James Hood, owner of Esports Scotland, said: “Supported by state-of-the-art 5G technology, the SEL4 grand finals will display Scotland’s capability of spearheading the rise of domestic Esports events. The finals were a key milestone on our journey towards establishing Dundee as a hub for competitive gaming prior. I would like to thank our partners for playing a major role in enabling us to host an event of this calibre."
Mark Flynn, Convener of Dundee City Council’s City Development Committee, said: “Long-term investment, years of planning and the vision to anticipate the next big thing makes Dundee almost the perfect location for what will be the nation’s largest competitive gaming competition to date. The Scottish Esports League Season 4 helped to cement Dundee’s place on the map as a key centre for competitive gaming, and I am sure that its success will make it the first of many such events hosted in the city.”
Derek Graham, Digital Infrastructure Programme Director at Scottish Futures Trust, said: “It’s been great to work with Esports Scotland to help them to become the first user of Dundee City Council’s 5G testbed that SFT has developed and delivered in collaboration with the council."
Julie Craik, Project Manager of Tay5G, said "It's been a total joy working with Esports Scotland, NLAE and all the partners on developing this event and a dream come true to see it delivered. Congratulations to all involved and a huge thank you to the Scottish Government, Tay Cities Deal and all the sponsors."
Professor Gregor White, Dean of Abertay University’s School of Design and Informatics, said: “Esports represent a massive opportunity for Dundee and Scotland and we are hugely excited to be bringing our academic expertise in video games education to this important sector, and to be partners in the Dundee Esports Arena project. Our plans to offer new programmes and qualifications linked to Esports are progressing well and we are confident that the success currently enjoyed by our games design graduates can be replicated as the industry continues to grow.”
Gillian McGovern, Head of Sector for Creative Cultural and Digital at Dundee and Angus college, said: “We are extremely excited about being a part of the SEL4 event and getting the opportunity to showcase at the DCA. The Esports arena has been a focal point of our discussions at the college over the last year or so and this global event which will be streamed live from Dundee sets the scene of what’s to come for the region. The opening of the arena will provide a number of job opportunities and the college will play a vital part in providing the future workforce with the skills and experience required to fill these roles”.
The Tay Cities Region Deal is a partnership between local, Scottish and UK governments and the private, academic and voluntary sectors which seeks to create a smarter and fairer Angus, Dundee, Fife and Perth & Kinross under the headings Inclusive Tay; Innovative Tay; International Tay; Connected Tay and An Empowered Tay. In total, the 26 projects submitted require investment of £700 million of which £300 million over 10 years is being put in by the UK Government and Scottish Government, subject to final approval of robust business cases. If every project and programme set out in the submission is funded and delivered, up to 6,000 job opportunities could be created across the various sectors including tourism, food and drink, creative industries, eco innovation, digital, decommissioning, engineering, biomedical and health and care sectors.