BFBS creates first-ever Esports league exclusively for the UK Armed Forces

BFBS has launched the first-ever league exclusively for Esports gamers in the Armed Forces.

The BFBS Pro League is a tournament series featuring the globally popular Rocket League game, which combines elements of virtual football and motorsport.

Event qualifiers will run through June and July, with an in-person finale in September.

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The league is for serving personnel and their direct family members, reservists, cadets, Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel, veterans, MOD civil servants and members of the bereaved community, aged 13 years or above.

BFBS chief executive Ben Chapman said: "It was clear that Esports were becoming wildly popular with the military community and globally.

"Gaming and Esports bring people together and connect them with shared passions, and these elements underpin so much of our work at BFBS.

"Esports also encourage healthy competition and are so popular to watch – we can't wait to build our leaderboard and a whole new community of gamers."

Lieutenant General Tom Copinger-Symes, Deputy Commander, Strategic Command, said: "We are delighted that BFBS is stepping up to the plate and bringing the UK's defence community together through Esports.

"Gaming is a vital means of engaging and entertaining the UK's Armed Forces and has great potential in developing and nurturing skills that are applicable to the working lives of so many in the defence sector."

Registration is open now at bfbsesports.com, the tournament management platform.

Players of all skill levels, ranging from casuals to seasoned pros, are welcome to connect and compete to win a share of a £15k cash prize pool, high-end gaming PCs and game credits, and there will also be prizes for the top 100 gamers.

Compete, Connect, Level Up   

Register now at bfbsesports.com follow updates social media, just search bfbsesports, visit our BFBS Esports page at forcesnews.com, and listen out for Esports and gaming features on BFBS Radio.

The growth of military Esports

There has been a distinct feeling among gamers that Esports backers have had to prove its worth and challenge traditional stigmas.

But why does it matter to the military? Esports has earned its spot in the military sporting calendar.

Split-second decision making, hand-eye coordination digital skills, in particular for cyber or computer-focused roles, and evaluation of strategy, are also touted as key benefits for military personnel who engage with Esports.

WO2 Martin Dixon, who manages the British Army Warzone team, told BFBS: "I think the stigma of sitting there playing computer games, take that away from it, what you're enhancing from people playing computer games is exactly the attributes that you want out of people in work – teamwork, communication.

"Obviously, it's sedentary, but there's still a lot of cognitive work that goes into sitting there playing it [at a] very high level, and I'm sure that people are fairly knackered at the end of the day competing, as well."

The RAF's Code Bowl captain, AS1 Jamie Griffith, says he believes the largest part is morale.

He said: "You've got guys who are just spending [time] in their rooms on camp, so actually having that community there to lift those spirits up, they perform better in their day-to-day jobs. It's massive."

Experienced British Army gamer Corporal Andrew Gibson believes trust is also key.

"Trust in every single person you play with, to make sure that you win," he said.

"Make sure you trust their ability, you trust they know what they're doing, make the right calls, make the right decisions and go on from there."

Sergeant Pete Hodson, OIC RAF Esports Call of Duty, said: "We've got lots of jobs in the Air Force that require computers.

"In my trade, for example, I sit behind a radar screen for hours on end, high levels of concentration, adaptability, communication. All of these are skills that can be easily transferred to Esports and to gaming."

Those may be the benefits, so why have personnel had to work hard to prove its worth?

RAF skipper Griffith told BFBS: "That's the biggest thing, especially with Esports, it's people not considering it a sport.

"They change their minds very quickly when you tell them you're going to America to do these big tournaments and you're playing against the likes of the best players in the world, then they're like 'ok', there's a little bit of jealousy there so I'm like 'get involved'.

"This is the first year that it's actually a represented sport, which is huge.

"There's support coming from the wider Air Force and you've got the likes of two stars and three stars upwards really getting involved and recognising what we do here, which is huge, because that just helps drive it forward."