Conor Ball: ‘gaming Can Be A Force For Good’

Following the announcement made earlier this month by LDN UTD that The Vamps bass guitarist Connor Ball would be joining the London-based esports organisation as a co-owner, we caught up with Ball and LDN UTD Founder and CEO, Oliver Weingarten, to discuss how the appointment came about and what it will mean for the organisation’s future direction.

Can you briefly describe the aims of LDN UTD?

Oliver: LDN UTD is an esports org with a USP. We promote health and wellbeing and address social issues. We want to show the stigma attached to gaming has dissipated and esports can be a force for good. We’ve shown what we do is not tokenistic and have held physical and online events to address racism, nutrition, mental health, education working with some fantastic partners and charities including The Mayor of London, and Rio Ferdinand Foundation. In tandem as a grassroots esports organisation we provide talent the opportunity to showcase their skills, either as a player, or content creator. Our current FIFA pro Michael Fisher is top ten in the world. We recently signed two fourteen-year-old twin brothers to play Fortnite, one of whom is one armed, and we have a diverse group of creators across Twitch, YouTube and Recast.

Connor, why have you joined LDN UTD?

Connor: I Joined LDN UTD because, first and foremost, I’m a huge gamer, so being able to merge my hobby with business was of real interest. Once I started talking to Olly and Joe, I saw the genuine potential in what LDN UTD is doing, and the road they are taking not only in competitive esports and casual gaming but also in addressing social issues. As most of you know, I have struggled with a few issues myself, so know what it feels like to not be yourself fully, and here at LDN UTD we aim to battle that. Not only are we focusing on the mental wellbeing, but we are also taking huge steps to tackle other issues such as knife crime, racism, women in gaming and many other angles.

How did the appointment come about?

O: Connor was always on our radar, but for me it was important that he wanted to do it. He had to like us. He had to trust us most importantly, so working with us last November at the Samsung event All Access Gaming was the point at which we could really show Connor what LDN UTD was all about. Using esports to raise awareness of social issues. Creating great content. Engaging the community. After that it was about finding time in between Connor’s ice skating to work out a way forward.

C: As Olly said. I got involved in the Samsung event and it was so much fun and showed exactly what LDN UTD is about, so it was an easy discussion thereafter.

What will Connor’s role at LDN UTD be?

O: Connor will be involved in the strategic direction of the business, including our metaverse project, alongside some of our other advisors, but where we’re really excited is to co-create content, and for Connor to attend our events. We see a lot of music crossover into gaming and recently worked with a record label on a stream for two of their artists, and we see more possibilities to integrate Connor and music into LDN UTD.

C: I’m excited to think about how I can use my skillset to help grow LDN UTD. That might be for content and event collaboration, integrating music into LDN UTD, or providing my view on strategic issues.

How will Connor’s involvement aide the goals of LDN UTD?

O: Connor is authentic. He is a gamer. He’s openly had mental health issues. He’s also a lot younger than me and resonates with the demographic we talk to. His 2.6 million reach won’t do us any harm.

How can gaming play a role in tackling societal issues?

O: The stigma previously attached to gaming no longer exists. The pandemic has shown parents that their children can utilise gaming for social and educational benefits, over and above how it was maybe perceived in the past. Gaming can be used to showcase jobs and transferable skills to work in the sector. It can be used to tackle mental health and address loneliness, and on the flip side, can be utilised to endorse physical activity, as we have done in the past hosting a five-a-side event in tandem with playing FIFA.

What specific projects will Connor be involved with?

O: We haven’t announced our schedule yet, but we have recently opened (soft launch) our purpose driven Centre of Excellence in Camden and will be announcing an IRL streamathon in March in Camden which Connor will be attending.