As known from:
The rapidly growing esports scene in the UK led to the establishment of the British Esports Association in 2016. It consists of the top UK esports teams and provides the infrastructure to nurture future talent.
With the country working hard to promote esports at the grassroots level, the rise of top quality teams was inevitable. This article details some of the leading UK based esports teams worth looking into if you are an esports betting enthusiast. This analysis will detail some of the key stats that make these teams the best in the country.
The UK esports market faced a steady decline during the initial part of the pandemic but was bolstered by a 2992% increase in esports betting year-over-year in 2020. With around 3-5% of the total gambling market in the UK significantly invested in esports betting in 2020, the teams, the tournaments and the overall landscape have improved.
This growth also led to multiple teams coming up and an increase in amateur tournaments that are open for betting to global users. However, with the market currently being flooded by quality teams and players, it is hard for you to analyse and understand the best options for your esports betting needs. Most betting sites that focus on esports have started providing live streams and team/player stats to help you make decisions easier.
With amateur and professional esports gaining traction in the UK, several regional, national and international esports teams are making their mark. Here is our expert-curated list of some of the biggest UK esports teams to help your esports betting experience.
1. Fnatic Esports
Founded in 2004, Fnatic is one of the oldest UK esports teams. Fnatic esports specialises in games like Apex Legends, Dota 2, Valorant, CS:GO and more. The Fnatic team has won over $16M in prize money, most of which is from CS:GO.
2. London Spitfire Esports
The London Spitfire Esports team UK is an Overwatch team founded in 2017, representing the city of London in the Overwatch League. They are owned by the Cloud9 team and are one of the twelve founding members of the Overwatch League. They have earned over $1.7M in prize money from just nine Overwatch tournaments.
3. London Royal Ravens
The London Royal Ravens esports team is one of the newer UK based esports teams; it was established in 2019 and is a part of ReKTGlobal. They are a Call of Duty League esports team with just under $1M in winnings in their short tenure.
4. Endpoint Esports
Launched by a founder with over 15 years of esports experience in 2016, Endpoint esports is focused on building teams for Rocket League, CS:GO and Quake Champions. The team has around $680k in winnings and is backed by CeX, socios.com and other top investors.
5. Vexed Gaming
Vexed Gaming is one of the most successful esports UK teams when it comes to Hearthstone. Vexed Gaming has teams for Valorant, Rainbow Six Siege, League of Legends and Quake Champions. Vexed is sponsored by Logitech and Reign; they have around $100k in tournament prize money winnings since their inception in 2015.
6. Excel Esports
Founded in 2014, Excel esports is a team that primarily focuses on games like League of Legends, FIFA, Valorant and Fortnite. They are backed by brands like Beyond nrg, Yoyotech, and Just Eat. The team has over $400k in winnings, with Fortnite being their strong suit.
7. MnM Gaming
MnM is a British-Chinese esports company founded in 2014 that has over $150k in prize money winnings. They have teams for Rainbow Six Siege, League of Legends, Trackmania, and World of Warcraft. The MnM gaming team focuses on discovering and promoting young talents from the UK and China.
8. Dignitas Esports
Formerly known as Team Dignitas, Dignitas Esports is an international esports team headquartered in the UK. They were founded in 2003 and focus on games like League of Legends, Rocket League, and CS:GO. Dignitas Esports has won over 18 world championships and over $5M in winnings. In addition, their partnerships with Verizon, HyperX, US Airforce and other giants make them one of the biggest teams in the UK.
Most esports tournaments begin with open play, which brings in a lot of new teams. Some of these teams may cause upsets and reach the finals as the underdog. Similarly, there are multiple variables to consider while selecting a team to back through a tournament. We've listed three of the essential points to look out for when you choose a team to back:
Being one of the top teams doesn't necessarily mean that they are the best in a particular game. There are esports teams that specialise in multiple games, with some yielding better results than the others. Analyse the players for the game and place your wagers based on their forms and stats. Specific game updates and rule changes may affect how certain players approach the game causing a slump in form and poor outcomes.
Some tournaments span the course of a week, while some extend to a month or even a year. So while staking on your favourite teams, it is crucial to understand how they have been performing during the tournament. It is advisable to skip the initial rounds of the tournament to avoid any surprises; you can get a clear picture of where each team stands and how they are expected to perform as the competition wears on.
With each season, teams bring in new players, and new teams come up in the rankings. The entry of new players and teams often stirs the pot with unexpected upsets. Even though the top 10 esports teams in the UK tend to move for top players, there is a chance that these players are a part of relatively smaller teams for a while before they make a move and come into the limelight. Don't forget to analyse top performing players in the regionals and qualifiers to see how the tournament can shape up.
The competition may be unpredictable at times, and even though the top companies hold a significant chunk of the UK esports teams market share, there are always newcomers that are worth a look. However, the bigger teams tend to be serial winners, with the clubs spending big on scouting and transfers.
The list of esports teams in the UK is growing; with the broader adoption of esports betting, wagering on these teams and smaller tournaments become open to the general public. As an esports betting enthusiast, you should have a close eye on the best-performing UK esports teams before you wager on them.
The esports teams in the UK can be divided into sections based on the tournaments they play and the quality of their players. For example, some teams solely focus on a single game, while there are companies that build multiple teams for popular esports tournaments. In addition, some teams play amateur level tournaments while specific teams play only in professional high stakes tournaments. You can go through out list of top UK esports teams to know more about the major teams to wager on this year.
While there are 5-10 esports teams in the UK that could stake a claim on the title of the biggest esports teams, factors like game specialisation, funding, and quality of the roster of players affect the outcome. You can take a look at our list of top UK esports teams to understand where each of the top teams stands.
Betting on esports events is legal in the UK and is one of the rapidly growing areas of betting. Most websites classify esports betting as a part of their sportsbook, while there are dedicated websites that prioritise esports betting. The increased popularity of esports betting has also resulted in bookmakers providing an extensive array of markets for each game, enhancing the user's overall esports wagering experience. To find out more about betting on the top UK esports teams, you can refer to our article.
Founded in 2016, the British Esports Association is a national body for esports in the UK. The roles and impact of the British Esports Association are detailed in our analysis of the top UK esports teams to wager on this year.
Users must be 18+. If you are having trouble with gambling then help and advice can be found at begambleaware.org. Please Play Responsibly.
