European Esports giant Fnatic, is launching an affiliate program to support the Pearson Esports BTEC courses across three colleges in the UK.
With the Esports industry growing at a rapid rate each year, it was only a matter of time before some of the larger names started helping to find new ways to nurture the next generation of players, with course attendees now being able to benefit from some hands-on education in the form of curated webinars from Fnatic staff, as well as staff and talent education to ‘level up skills’.
We’re proud to announce we're launching a UK-first Esports College Partner Programme with three amazing colleges across the UK! We'll provide:- Staff and talent to level up skills- Curriculum-driven webinars given by Fnatic staff- Partner discounts on Fnatic GearRead more:June 24, 2022
It should be said that this isn’t the first Esports course running within the UK, though having Fnatics involvement is an exciting opportunity for students to learn key skills from one of the biggest Esports organizations in the world.
Fnatic doesn’t just bring 17 years of knowledge, but also skills and insights that will be best learned from those who have been active participants in the industry given how rapidly it evolves. After all, the earliest Esports teams and leagues were only formed in the late 1990s, and we've upgraded from local town halls to stadiums headlined by globally recognized bands these days.
The educational institutes that will be collaborating with Fnatic on this program are HSDC South Downs, Queen Mary's College and Access Creative College, though there is little information in regards to what the curriculum will involve just yet.
Analysis: pro-gaming is the new Rockstar - embrace it
Don’t let that dissuade you though, and if you have a child whos interested in a career within the Esports industry then I’d like to help settle a few concerns you might have: Esports doesn’t just involve sitting around and playing videogames all day.
In fact, depending on the pathways, Esports careers might not involve playing games at all. There are numerous industry skills that play a huge part, from shoutcasting (a specialized form of sports presentation) to more recognizable careers such as events management.
You need to bear in mind that these courses while involving the videogame industry, do not rely on every applicant being a globally ranked player in games like Fortnite, Apex Legends or League of Legends. The Esports industry depends on a great deal of existing media skills which provides a good pathway into other jobs.
Video and Livestream editing skills often also make an appearance on Esports or gaming-related curricula, which in the current age of social media and digital self-employment could be invaluable. Branding and producing skills, PR management, even sports nutrition for professional gamers…all these can be applied to more ‘traditional’ careers.
And that isn’t to dunk on those who do have the skills to become the next big face in their respective game of choice. College and university environments can sometimes be passing along information or educational materials that no longer reflect the real-world industries, and given Fnatic is actively involved with, well, just about every major Esports tournament, you can see this as the organization being signed on to provide the very best and latest educational content fresh from those who are actively involved.
The world of entertainment and media is changing. You might snub competitive gaming right now, but the industry is worth billions worldwide, and can easily rival many physical sports industries with having dedicated TV channels for coverage and team-branded kits.
There are worse things you or your child can want to get involved with frankly, and it's a space that's only going to continue to grow as things like cloud gaming make video games more accessible.
