British Esports amateur grassroots esports tournament for schools and colleges across the UK opens registrations for Winter Split and announces format updates for the 2023/24 season.
Sunderland, Thursday 7th September 2023 – British Esports, the national body established to support grassroots esports in the UK, is delighted to announce that registrations for the 2023/24 Student Champs Winter Split are now officially open.
Featuring some of the biggest and most popular esports games available today, including; League of Legends, Overwatch 2, Rocket League and Valorant, the British Esports Student Champs is the UK’s largest amateur grassroots esports tournament for students aged 12 + at secondary schools, further education (FE) colleges and alternative provision (AP) schools.
Identifying the next generation of amateur esports talent, the Student Champs featured over 200 individual schools and colleges in 2022/23 alone, including 500 teams and in excess of 5,000 students, culminating in a grand final witnessed by a live audience and over ¼ million live views on Twitch.
Brand new for the 2023/24 season is the introduction of the Open and Nationals, designed to showcase the very best teams and talent on a national level, alongside the addition of wider cup competitions featuring StreetFighter 6 and Apex Legends, as well as the return of the Women in Esports Cup and the Williams Racing League, in partnership with Williams Esports.
The Open is intended to offer competition with less higher stakes, perfect for those taking their very first steps in competitive schools and college esports.
The Nationals are all about top tier talent, featuring the very best performing teams from across the UK and limited to one institute per title.
For a more detailed breakdown of the tournament formats(s), including the introduction of the Nationals and Open, along with entry fee requirements and wider Cups, check out the Introduction to the 2023/24 Student Champs on British Esports YouTube channel.
Key dates for the British Esports Student Champs 2023/24 season include:
2023/24 Winter Split
- Registrations for the Nationals, Open and the wider Cups (including StreetFighter 6 and Women in Esports Overwatch 2 and Valorant Cup) are now open and will close on September 27th at 5pm.
- Fixtures will take place throughout October, November and December 2023.
2023/24 Spring Split
- Registrations for the Open and the wider Cups (including Apex Legends and Women in Esports Overwatch 2 and Valorant Cup) will kick off from December 2023.
- Fixtures will take place throughout January, February and March 2024.
2023/24 Finals
- The National Regional Finals and Open Grand Finals will take place in April 2024.
- The Nationals finals will take place in July 2024.
The 2023/24 Student Champs season will culminate in a LIVE LAN final at The Arena, the brand new, multifunctional esports and creative complex, part of British Esports’ National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland.
As part of it’s ongoing collaboration with College of Esports, the world’s leading university-level institution dedicated to the business of esports and gaming, British Esports is pleased to announce that all broadcast productions relating to the British Esports Student Champs Open Division, will be exclusively produced by College of Esports students, ranging from production crew, to casting, hosting, observers and more.
For those interested in getting involved in broadcast roles for the Nationals, British Esports has a number of volunteer and freelance roles available from Admins to Casters, League Ops Assistant, Observers and Replay Operators. For more information on the specific jobs and to read the specific job descriptions, please visit www.britishesports.org/careers.
“As we launch the 6th season of the British Esports Student Champs, it’s incredible to look back at the growth of institutions competing, as well as the significant increase in the overall quality of players, teams and matches on display,” said Andy Payne OBE, Chair, British Esports. “Our goal with the Student Champs has always been to offer amateur grassroots players the opportunity to take part in competitive tournaments and gain valuable experience. Throughout its history the champs has seen a number of institutions grow and develop their esports provision alongside their facilities.”
“We’re thrilled to be involved with the British Esports Student Champs,” said Prof. Philip Wilson, Chair, College of Esports. “We pride ourselves on being able to offer students real hands-on opportunities throughout the esports industry, and being the largest amateur grassroots esports tournament for schools and colleges across the UK, the Student Champs is a prestigious british tournament and it’s amazing that the team at British Esports have entrusted the production of these broadcasts throughout the season to our eager students.”
To learn more about the tournament breakdown, including the introduction of the Open, Nationals and wider Cups, entry fees and more, please visit www.britishesports.org/champs and register today.
## END ##
Contact
Adam McGowan | Marketing Director | British Esports | Email: [email protected]
Alice Leaman | Head of Operations | British Esports | [email protected]
About British Esports
Established in 2016, British Esports is the national body for esports in the UK. As one of the world’s leading esports authorities, we are the recognised member of the Global Esports Federation for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and founding member of the International Olympic Committee Esports and Gaming Liaison Group. From nationwide amateur grassroots competition to cutting edge esports curriculum and national representation on the global stage, we’re dedicated to increasing levels of esports awareness, improving esports standards, and inspiring future esports talent. For more information and all the latest news, visit www.britishesports.org or follow British Esports on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitch, YouTube, TikTok.
