EPIC.LAN is providing industry expertise to help esports students at University of Staffordshire reach the next level.

Congleton-based EPIC.LAN is a leader in community gaming events and has been working with the University’s BA (Hons) Esports course to provide students with industry experience, training and work opportunities on major gaming productions for several years.

That partnership has now been extended into a more formal programme involving guest lectures, module support and year-round use of EPIC.LAN’s in-house tournament platform.

The platform, which has been used from small grassroots tournaments up to global esports series, enables students to practice industry standards in esports operations, backed by expert training and guidance from the EPIC.LAN development and operations teams.

It is also available for students to use as part of their own internal esports initiatives within the university including recent Riot Play Club events.

Jon Winkle, EPIC.LAN Managing Director, explained , “The University of Staffordshire is the local university to EPIC.LAN’s base. It is important for us as an employer and industry leader to forge strong relationships with local education providers to support future employability of students in the esports space. The students from the esports programme are regular faces at our EPIC.LAN events, in front of and behind the camera, so it’s important for us to be able to give back to that community by actively supporting their university education with our industry tools and experience.”

As well as providing hands-on experience, EPIC.LAN has been involved in setting live briefs for student assessments and providing feedback on student projects.

Elizabeth Fairclough is one of the students who has benefitted from the partnership and has gone on to secure freelance work with EPIC.LAN.

Elizabeth said: “EPIC.LAN has been a major source of experience for myself upon entering the esports industry, providing a safe environment to learn each part of a streamed tournament event. The regular team of volunteers have quickly become family, and the connections made have given me opportunities I would have otherwise missed, such as roles within ESL Premiership Playoffs and work under Riot Games.

“Their specialist tournament platform has been key to improving my technological portfolio, introducing me to admin software, website coding, and creating larger tournaments with strict time schedules. EPIC.LAN’s work alongside our University and lecturers gives us the edge we need to succeed in an ever-evolving industry, helping to lead us to our goals through their practical expertise.”

For more information on the EPIC.LAN tournament platform, visit epictournaments.gg and to find out more about the University of Staffordshire’s esports programme, visit www.staffs.ac.uk/course/esports-ba.