University of Warwick named the best university for gamers in the UK

On Monday 17 April, the University of Warwick was named the best UK university for gamers by Uswitch.

Warwick beat University College London and University of Manchester for the top spot, maintaining its reputation as a hub for esports.

This victory follows Warwick being the first UK university to be nominated for the Collegiate award. The university was also the recipient of UK Esports University of the Year for the fourth year running last year.

Uswitch based the decision on the accessibility and quality of gaming facilities on campus, the range of gaming societies and events, and the overall student experience of gamers.

We are delighted that our efforts have been recognised and we look forward to continuing to provide opportunities for students.

–Elenore Li, Esports Centre Coordinator

With a total of 4,282 associated gamers and 488 active esports players, Warwick had more gamers than any other UK university.

Warwick’s esports scene has grown in popularity following the opening of a dedicated esports gaming centre on campus in 2021.

The university has several active gaming societies including Warwick Esports, who compete at a national level in games like League of Legends, Overwatch, and Rocket League.

“We are delighted that our efforts have been recognised and we look forward to continuing to provide opportunities for students.” Elenore Li, Esports Centre Coordinator at the Esports Centre, said.

Three esports players (Ashley Kluver, Hinako Ishida, and Issra Khan) from Warwick were included in Intel FutureGen’s 2023 cohort, signifying that they were rising stars within the British student esports scene. Khan is the current President of Warwick Esports.

The success of esports can be partially attributed to the university being nestled in the ‘Silicon Spa’ region, with Warwickshire hosting the largest number of games development companies, outside of London, in the UK.

A number of major computer games studios are hosted in the area, such as Sega, Ubisoft, Playground, and Codemasters.