Dear members of the Esports Wales community,
I hope this letter finds you well as we start a new year. It has been wonderful to see family and friends reunited and to be able to attend events in person again after a year of lockdowns. I hope that Esports Wales has provided you with some memorable experiences and accomplishments to look back on.
I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the achievements we made together in 2022 and to share with you some of the projects we have planned for the coming year.
There have been many highlights for esports in Wales this year. We welcomed new esports teams from Cwm Rhymni, Cambria, Bridgend, and NPTC college, and our college and school teams continued to excel in the esports scene, setting a strong foundation for the future of esports in Wales. I am also pleased to see that USW now has an esports society, which is helping to strengthen the university’s presence in the NUEL and NSE.
Esports Wales had an outstanding year, with numerous accomplishments to our name. We made it to the Top 8 in Europe for Rocket League and the Top 32 in Europe for Tekken at the Baku tournament. At the Commonwealth event in Birmingham, we were the only team to qualify in every discipline, and we brought home Gold in the Rocket League open, Silver in the Efootball Women’s category, and Bronze in the Efootball open. In September, we represented Wales at the Montenegro tournament, where we made it to the Top 16 in Europe for Efootball. Finally, at the World Esports Championships in Bali, we placed in the Top 16 in the world for CSGO and the Top 32 in the world for Efootball. These achievements demonstrate the hard work and dedication of our players and staff, as well as the support of our community.
In addition to our competitive efforts, we have also had the pleasure of collaborating with Creative Wales, the Welsh Government, and our sponsors Deal Me Out and HyperX to host multiple community tournaments. While we have had to make some changes to our rosters, including letting Tân and Iâ go, we believe these changes will help support the growth and development of the esports scene in Wales.
Looking ahead to 2023, we have exciting plans in store. We will be launching the first Welsh Esports League, the Welsh Masters, and will continue to participate in international esports events. We also have some special projects in the works. Most importantly, we will continue to work towards creating clear pathways for players and talent to enter the esports industry and to showcase Wales as a top contender on the international stage.
On behalf of the staff at Esports Wales, I would like to express our gratitude for your support and to wish you a successful and enjoyable year in 2023. Good luck and have fun!
Sincerely,
Director of Esports Wales
John Jackson
