A Perthshire school has launched its very own e-sports facility becoming one of the first in the U.K to give its pupils the opportunity to turn their passion into a profession.
Strathallan School has installed four competitive gaming rigs, allowing pupils to play a variety of games and familiarise themselves with the fundamentals of e-sports.
E-sports is a form of competition using video games and multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams.
The rigs were partly installed by former pupil Josh Martin – a competitive e-sports racer and founder of his own e-sports company.
Josh said: “This is a truly exciting opportunity for the school. Strathallan now has four racing simulators, on which pupils can play a wide variety of games and familiarise themselves with the fundamentals of e-sports and the opportunities this presents.
“I can definitely see some great competitions brewing at the school.”
E-sports growing in popularity
“E-sports has grown massively over the last few years. It has gone from being largely hobbyist to full-time careers, scholarships and global partnerships with major brands”, he said.
“The potential is enormous. Formula One, the teams engaged and other sporting bodies are offering paid opportunities for players to compete with them virtually.
“Hopefully, over time, we will see even more opportunities become available for the next generation of gamers.”
“A progressive move for the school”
He said: “When I was asked if I would get the project running, I was thrilled.
“This is such a progressive move for the school and really demonstrates that they are aware of what pupils are interested in currently.
“This is such an amazing asset for the school and the pupils seem to wholeheartedly agree.”
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