Last week we found out that the UK was getting its first ever Dota 2 Major tournament in the form of ESL One Birmingham this May, and we recently had a chat with ESL UK's Chief Operating Officer Rob Black about what this means, who told us that this means a lot not just for the UK right now but for future esports players.
"I think in the last couple of years, or maybe four, five years, we've been building in the industry [...] to create a platform for players and teams to excel and become world stars, and we're just starting to see the fruits of the labour there with a few players," he said. "We had a couple of guys who won the ESL UK Premiership for League of Legends a couple of years ago that just went to Worlds last October, and I think, you know, from the UK esports point of view, having a huge, tentpole, mega event like ESL One come to Birmingham is... really it's like an inspirational piece. And really we want to be able to show gamers in the UK that this is where you can be, at the top of the game right now, and if you put in hard work then you can be a star."
Do you think events like ESL One Birmingham and the Faceit Major tournament for CS:GO in September can inspire UK esports?