Mayor wants London to be world’s esports capital

The mayor at the Valorant Masters London tournament this month (Collected Photo)

Sir Sadiq Khan has set out his ambition for London to become the global capital of competitive video gaming, known as esports, as City Hall looks to capitalise on the industry’s growing economic value.

The mayor made the announcement on Thursday during a trade mission to Tokyo, where he visited the Red Bull Gaming Sphere alongside the London-based esports company Fnatic and its partner Sony.

It came as City Hall published a commissioned report on how London could build on recent successes, including the Valorant Masters London tournament which ran from 6 to 21 June.

London’s deputy mayor for culture described esports as “a huge opportunity” for the city.

The report, entitled London’s Esports Opportunity, said that while the capital had a strong foundation, the focus must now shift “towards strategic coordination, sustained growth, and long-term sustainability”.

Its authors did note concerns over the “high cost of operating and hosting esports activity in London”, which they said “remains a challenge for parts of the sector, particularly when competing with other national and international destinations”.

Sir Sadiq has also been vocal about the dangers of young Londoners being glued to their screens, particularly when exposed to the riskier aspects of social media, such as disinformation or harmful content like material promoting misogyny.

However, London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture Justine Simons said esports presented “a huge opportunity”, which did not contrast with the mayor’s desire to see Londoners connect with one another.

“What people might be less aware of – if you’re not in that world – is what a kind of powerful sense of community there is in gaming,” she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“We want London to be the destination of choice for esports.

“It’s a phenomenon that’s growing so fast. It’s got an audience of 640 million worldwide, and it’s predicted to be worth $10bn by 2033.

“It’s a no-brainer for us, and we couldn’t be better placed. We are the biggest games capital in Europe. Londoners love games, and all the ingredients are there.

“This report is asking what more we can do, from investment to the talent pipeline.”