How Ireland's growing Esports scene is building a lasting legacy

Ireland is not only a hot bed for gamers, but also home to some of the biggest gaming publishers in the world.

Electronic Arts (EA) have a studio in Galway, while Riot Games and Activision/Blizzard both have studios in Dublin.

The consumer market in Ireland has always been strong, but the competitive side of gaming has been slower to develop here. The United States, South Korea, China, Sweden and Denmark all lead the way. However, Ireland has been making strides to change that in recent years.

Trevor Keane, co-founder of Epic Global Agency told BreakingNews.ie: "Ireland is a growing market, if you look at the last few years, we have gone from a grassroots scene to now having teams like Munster Rugby Gaming (MRG) and Nativz based in Dublin who both compete in League of Legends."

Epic Global Agency helps Esport players get their foot in the door as well as create commercial strategies for teams.

Having infrastructure in place which fosters talent is crucial, and sadly that is one of the main areas where Ireland is falling behind.

“We are trying to create a pathway for Irish gamers. We are looking to do an Irish league based on Valorant which would then feed into the UK league.

“That is what needs to happen more and more, create the infrastructure in Ireland that will feed into other ecosystems," he says.

There are around two million gamers in Ireland across all spectrums, and it is estimated there around 700,000 Esports enthusiasts.

Another issue which Keane highlights is the lack of coverage of Esports in general compared to other sports.

"We haven't seen the same coverage of Esports in the national media like you would with other teams. You don't see Irish players or teams on the news when they win.

"In the UK you have