British Esports has announced further investment in Sunderland with a new multi-site venue and gaming accommodation all planned.
British Esports has announced its plans to increase investment in the state-of-the-art National Esports Performance Campus (NEPC), which is a multi-site venue and the UK’s most advanced esports and education performance and training centre. To go alongside the facilities, the federation has announced it has now acquired a multi-purpose entertainment venue, as well as brand new esports and gaming accommodation in the city.
Combined with the National Esports Performance Campus, it represents a multi million-pound investment in the city of Sunderland and takes the total footprint to over 30,000 sq ft. Located near to the NEPC, the hub and the Grade II listed townhouses are situated in a conservation area in Sunniside. Split over four floors and currently undergoing extensive renovation and internal refurbishment to restore them to separate residential dwellings, the esports and gaming houses are scheduled to open in late Spring 2023.
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Providing accommodation for up to 25 people, the fully self-contained properties will feature separate living and leisure areas, plus a cutting edge digital performance and gaming room, kitted out with the very latest in gaming and creative technology. Designed to stimulate team and player performance as well as a healthy, balanced lifestyles, the fully managed accommodation alongside the National Esports Performance Campus will seek to deliver greater success on the international esports stage.
Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: "Sunderland is a hugely ambitious city, and one that fully embraces the transformative power of digital to bring communities together, so it is fitting that a sport that is built on digital and technology is investing so significantly here.
"British Esports’ investment in Riverside Sunderland with its Performance Campus and in Sunniside with the gaming accommodation, fits perfectly with our regeneration programme, which is transforming both of these parts of the city centre, and we’re delighted to be working closely with them to support them with their plans.”
The National Esports Performance Campus, scheduled to open in late 2023, is an 11,000 sq.ft, 1:1 acre esports training and educational complex, split across two floors, featuring state-of-the art creative, educational, coaching and training facilities, with provision for over 150 students. The venue will feature the very latest in digital and computing technology, a 100 seater esports arena, dedicated esports stage, classrooms, performance and training rooms, broadcast and content production facilities, sim racing and much more.
As a founding member of the Global Esports Federation, British Esports will be the first amongst its 120 members to have its own dedicated esports campus.
Andy Payne OBE, Chair, British Esports, said: "We are proud to be making a significant investment in Sunderland and the North East with a new multi-site venue capable of attracting and developing the digital forward society of tomorrow. We are excited to be developing infrastructure for the UK esports ecosystem, but, as part of the UK's national levelling up campaign, we are equally thrilled that the people of the North East will have an incredible facility on their doorstep.”
Esports - an abbreviation of electronic sports - refers to organised competitive video gaming, in which teams and individual players pit their skills against one another online, and often in front of large live audiences to win trophies and cash prizes, which can extend to millions of pounds.
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