BFBS launches esports league for UK armed forces

The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) has announced it has launched the BFBS Pro League, an esports league for members of the UK armed forces community.

The league will feature event qualifiers before concluding with an in-person event taking place in September.

According to a release, the inaugural edition of the BFBS Pro League will be on Rocket League. Moreover, the tournament is open to “UK armed forces personnel and their direct family members, reservists, cadets, Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel, veterans, MOD civil servants, and members of the bereaved community, aged 13 years or above.”

Registrations to compete in the league are now open to players of all skill levels. The league will feature a £15,000 prize pool along with other prizes including gaming PCs and game credits. Notably, the top 100 players from the league will also receive a prize.

“Gaming and esports bring people together and connect them with shared passion, and these elements underpin so much of our work at BFBS,” said Ben Chapman, CEO of BFBS.

“Esports also encourage healthy competition and are so popular to watch. We can’t wait to build our leaderboard and a whole community of gamers.”

To create the league, BFBS partnered with UK-based event organiser EPIC.LAN to provide event operations, planning and a platform to host the tournament.

For the UK, the creation of the BFBS Pro League is one of the first grassroots initiatives for members of the armed forces to participate in.

Outside of the UK, the esports industry has collaborated with various armed forces through partnerships with esports organisations and by hosting a range of tournaments.

In January 2023, KC Pioneers partnered with the US Army National Guard to organise tournaments across the Midwest.

Elsewhere, the US Army has also joined forces with Complexity to host the Soldier Shakedown, a multi-title esports event for active-duty service members to compete in.