Mayor Of London Backs Ldn Utd Esports Championships

The Mayor of London and LDN UTD have launched a new initiative designed to provide participants from across the capital with a new opportunity to unlock a career in esports.

The LDN UTD Inter-Borough Esports Championships will use esports and education to tackle rising rates of youth unemployment, and will give young people in Hackney, Kingston, Lambeth and Lewisham the chance to attend a range of digital workshops. 

Hosted in partnership with Staffordshire University London, Salford University and the University of East London, the workshops are themed around topics such as video editing, social media management and graphic design, and are designed to give participants a taste of the skills required to forge a career in esports. 

Leading experts and special guests will offer unique insights throughout the workshops, including FaZe Clan’s FaZe Tass. There will also be the opportunity for some participants to further their education and experience through work experience or an internship with LDN UTD and other industry partners. 

“The growth of esports over the past 12 months has been considerable,” said Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

“The industry is generating millions of pounds for our economy, as well as creating much needed jobs for our community, particularly here in London. With that growth comes a level of responsibility, and I am proud that my Sport Unites programme is able to help fund LDN UTD, an organisation who are using their platform and the power of esports.”

Oliver Weingarten, Founder and CEO, LDN UTD added: “The broader perception of esports is often focused around the very best individuals or teams competing in global tournaments – but in reality, there are lots of other roles that play a vital part in creating this hyper-modern entertainment form and we’re hoping to shine a light on that over the coming months. 

“As the epicenter of the UK’s esports industry, we want to encourage young people from across London that this isn’t just something you do at home with your friends, it really is a viable career option.”

The initiative will also see gamers from the four London Boroughs go head-to-head in the inaugural LDN UTD Inter-Borough Esports Championships, which will give players the option of competing in either FIFA ’21 or NBA 2K from 5th – 19th December 2020. The tournament will be broadcast live on Twitch and hosted by Rambo – founding member of LDN UTD’s Social Impact Thinktank and lead FIFA content creator.