'Flagship' gaming arena to open next year
British EsportsA new national gaming and esports arena is set to open next year after funding was secured for the project.
The facility in Sunderland will host tournaments including Olympic and World Cup events.
British Esports, the national federation for the UK, said the 15,000 sq ft arena would be situated alongside the existing National Esports Performance Campus, near the city's Stadium of Light.
Work is set to begin in September and it is due to open by the end of March, with Sunderland City Council describing the site as a "fantastic addition" to the area.
British Esports said it would have a 200-seat theatre, a 56ft-wide (17m) LED screen, broadcast, content and editing studios, as well as retail and hospitality spaces.
It will also become a training and education hub where players can practice under tournament conditions.
Andy Payne OBE, chairman of British Esports, likened it to the St George's Park National Football Centre, saying it would be a "flagship" and "help train the next generation of esports talent".
"This significant development marks another crucial step forward in British Esports' mission to champion grassroots esports development and elite athlete performance across the nation and globally," he said.
"We have designed our facility so that on any given day we could be a training and performance hub, running a global esports tournament, hosting a publisher game launch or hired out as a music venue."
British EsportsMichael Mordey, leader of the Labour-led council, said the gaming and esports arena was "a fantastic addition" to other projects taking place.
"It is a game-changing development which will cement Sunderland's reputation as the home of esports in the UK, while providing a major boost to the regional economy, creating high-skilled jobs for local people and attracting visitors from across the globe to our transforming city."
The announcement comes as the Esports Performance Campus hosts the final of the British Esports Student Champs this weekend.
Eight of the UK's best student teams will be competing, having been whittled down from 750 that entered at the beginning of the 2024/25 season.