E-sports are big business and City Hall wants a big slice of the pie for the city
City Hall’s support for the capital’s gaming industry doesn’t contrast with a desire to see Londoners connect with one another, the Deputy Mayor for Culture has insisted.
The Mayor of London last week announced his goal for the city to be the global capital of organised video gaming – also known as esports – and take advantage of the growing economic value of the industry.
At the same time, a report commissioned by City Hall has been released detailing how the capital, which just hosted the VALORANT Masters Tour at the Copper Box Arena, can build on recent successes.
However, the Mayor has also been vocal when warning about the dangers of young Londoners being glued to their screens, particularly when exposed to the riskier aspects of social media, such as disinformation or harmful content including that promoting misogyny.
Deputy Mayor for Culture, Justine Simons, has insisted that social isolation is the issue, rather than access to screens and technology.
“What people might be less aware of – if you’re not in that world – is what a kind of powerful sense of community there is in gaming,” she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
“The atmosphere was fantastic at the Copper Box [last week] – and it was all in real life. You have things like Artist Alley, where gamers come to create their own artwork, you have FanFest sites where people can watch for free – it’s like a micro-economy in itself.
“There’s lots of work going on to really build that sense of community. All of us in society, not just gamers, operate in a digital world. There is value in getting everyone together into one physical space.
“It brings you together and you get the same kind of energy and dynamism in an esports game at the Copper Box that you do watching Harry Styles at Wembley in or grassroots music space in East London.
“Culture and creativity have an extraordinary ability to bring us together and create those human connections – those are more valuable today than ever before.”
This philosophy was reflected in last week’s announcement from the Mayor that every Youth Lates club in London will give attendees access to gaming in a drive to bring young people together.
He said: “Many children across the capital do not have access to consoles or only have one gaming controller, so they can’t play together with friends or siblings at home.
“That’s why I’m committed to providing youth clubs with the funding to purchase equipment or improve their internet connection where they need it, so more people can play with friends throughout the year.”
The report, entitled ‘London’s Esports Opportunity’, suggested that while the capital has a strong foundation, the focus must now shift “towards strategic coordination, sustained growth, and long-term sustainability.
The authors noted concerns over the “high cost of operating and hosting esports activity in London”, which “remains a challenge for parts of the sector, particularly when competing with other national and international destinations.”
“We want London to be the destination of choice for e-sports,” Ms Simons said.
“It’s a phenomenon that’s growing so fast. It’s got an audience of 640 million worldwide and we know that it’s predicted to be worth $10billion by 2033.
“We see it as a huge opportunity for London and we’ve been building it for the last decade.
“It’s a no-brainer for us, and we couldn’t be better placed. We are the biggest games capital in Europe – Londoners love games, and all the ingredients are there.
“This report is asking the question about what more we can do to shoot from the stars – from investment, to the talent pipeline.”
Stay up to date about London’s hottest events, latest restaurant openings, and best deals with our Going Out Out newsletter. Sign up HERE!
