BFBS ready to make esports history with its landmark Pro League grand final
The countdown is on to the grand final of the inaugural BFBS Pro League showdown – a landmark event for military gamers in one of the world's fastest-growing sports.
The Rocket League decider at the University of Staffordshire on Sunday 28 September puts the first generation of Armed Forces gaming talent at the forefront of global esports audiences.
Built exclusively for the UK Armed Forces community, organisers of the BFBS Esports tournament aim to harness the worldwide phenomenon of the game to create a competitive arena in which serving personnel, their family members, reservists, cadets, Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel, veterans, MOD civil servants, and members of the bereaved community can showcase their skills on an international stage.
Eight teams will face off in the grand final, including two British Army and three Royal Air Force sides, in a high-octane battle for the championship crown.
Teams
Civilian
- Resurgence: 1 x MOD, 2 x family of personnel
- OMNIA: 2 x family of personnel, 1 x member of the bereaved community
- Boost over Ball: 3 x family of veterans
British Army
- Falcons: 2 x British Army, 1 x MOD
- Sparrowhawks: 3 x British Army
Royal Air Force
- RAF Stormshadows: 3 x RAF
- RAF Tempests: 3 x RAF
- RAF Shadows: 3 x RAF
The growth of military esports
There has been a distinct feeling among gamers that esports backers have had to prove their 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, particularly 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 Sport: "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 Sport: "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."
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