After two years of planning and preparation, the Royal Signals Esports Hub has been opened to the delight of the many gamers who serve at Blandford Camp. Combining a range of standard gaming equipment such as PCs and Playstations with professional kit such as VR and racing simulators, the Centre is designed to bring people together as a community rather than gaming in their rooms.
A recent study by Statista found that 88% of 18-24 year-olds and 79% of 25-34 year-olds played computer games, the latter up from 52% in 2019. With a large number of young Phase 2 soldiers and many others on trade courses, Blandford Camp was considered to be the ideal place to establish the Hub.
Esports has enjoyed a huge increase in popularity in the Royal Signals, with many of our soldiers representing the British Army in national and international competitions. Next month, a Corps team will take part in the Insomnia Festival in Birmingham, having prepared at the Blandford Hub.
Capt Bunnett of the Royal Signals esports team said, ‘The Hub will be a fantastic resource not just for the Esports team and the Royal Signals Gaming Network who will use it during club nights, but also for all those soldiers living on Blandford Camp who enjoy gaming or want to get involvedzxqa.’
The Hub may also have a mental health benefit, as LCpl Childs said. 'Throughout COVID many soldiers turned to Esports to be able to connect to their friends and family. Many found that it really improved their morale and helped them cope with isolation.'
Commandant DSCIS Col Davies said, “Esport is like any other sport: it really helps to develop teamwork and encourages the competitive spirit. Many of our soldiers and officers are obviously not new to gaming but bringing it directly into Army life is a new idea and the Blandford Garrison Esports Hub is a ground-breaking facility. The hub gets people out of their own rooms and provides the consoles, hi-res monitors, fast connection, and furniture letting everyone on Garrison enjoy esports in a more comfortable and relaxed setting whilst building a more social experience for everyone. Thank you to all our sponsors not least to mention the Colleges’ Partnership and Royal Signals Charity for providing us a lot of the funds to help make the hub a reality.”
All the soldiers involved yesterday were really excited about the Hub and with Command Field Army Sgt Maj in attendance there was a real buzz about the future of this fantastic facility for everyone in the Royal Signals to access.
