To the Esports Wales community,
I am very happy to address you in this new year. It is an opportunity for me to go back and acknowledge the achievements we have made together over the last year and to present to you with the projects that will materialise within the next one.
2020 being a difficult year for most, with this in mind Esports Wales has still managed to help support and grow the scene here in Wales and achieved the targets we set out at the beginning of the year. I have to applaud the staff and community in being able to make this happen this year.
Following your feedback we have made a number of changes to the organisation and plan to keep developing and supporting the community. We made the shift to focus more on our competitive teams, deciding to focus on Tân and Iâ and develop these teams. We made our community nights more competitive, giving you the Proving Grounds, unofficial trial nights, that allow solo players to show off their skills.
Starting all the way back in March we ran the largest esports tournament in Wales, the Welsh Open. Allowing us to select players for the upcoming Esports Cup of Nations that took place against Esports Scotland in early September. While losing the games we deemed the tournament as a great success in the development national squad and international games.
This led on to the first international friendly game vs Ireland Esports in December.
To finish, I would like to highlight the great successes of this year, which have made esports shine in Wales. I am thinking of the new addition of Belong Wrexham stores, the university performances from Swansea Storm, Cardiff Crusaders, Cardiff Met Esports, ACOG, and Bangor Unis performances in NUEL. This was the year we saw the introduction of a number of new college teams in the British Esports Championships with some strong performances from Gower College and CrossKeys.
We are looking at the foundations we set out in 2020 and developing them; strengthening our teams, hosting more tournaments and events, and aiming for more success at the national level. With that in mind, there are always calls for new projects, the search for grants, sponsorship, communication tools, guides for organisations, clubs, parents, communities and events.
Esports Wales must become a support system for all, which will help us to evolve and progress the world of esports in Wales and beyond. The board of directors are motivated to move forward with our vision.
The staff and myself wish you a good year for 2021.
Director of Esports Wales
John Jackson
