National Student Esports (NSE) has unveiled a new partnership with SteelSeries, naming it the official peripherals brand for the British University Esports Championship (BUEC).
As part of the agreement, SteelSeries will provide Arctis Nova Series gaming headsets for use by participants at the BUEC 2025 finals, ensuring that every sound is as clear as possible during matches.
Additionally, SteelSeries will support NSE in distributing branded merchandise to over 100 gaming and esports societies at freshers’ fairs, helping to increase membership and engagement in these communities. This initiative aims to boost participation in NSE tournaments and events.
Alex Coulson, Managing Director at NSE, commented: “We are very happy to announce this new partnership with SteelSeries, a brand renowned for its high quality and gamer-centric peripherals. This collaboration represents another significant advancement for NSE, reaffirming our commitment to creating a thriving esports ecosystem for university students across the UK.”
The 2023/24 academic year saw the BUEC become a cornerstone of university esports, hosting 15,000 matches across 2,200 teams from 113 universities. Going forward, SteelSeries will play a key role in NSE’s major competitive events, further supporting the UK’s largest grassroots gaming community.
Tony Trubridge, Global Esports Director at SteelSeries, stated: “We are obsessed with making a difference in a gamer’s game, life and world, and we are passionate about empowering gamers to push the boundaries and achieve their best.
Partnering with NSE and the British University Esports Championship allows us to further showcase how we live at the intersection of gaming and culture while supporting the next generation of esports talent and providing them with the tools they need to succeed. We look forward to a successful collaboration and seeing these talented students thrive.”
This partnership marks a significant step forward in enhancing the esports experience for university students across the UK and aligns with a global effort to improve the relationship between universities and esports.
Building on the consistent success of events like the BUEC and the inaugural Esports World Cup, educational institutions are increasingly focusing on esports. Mount Kenya University (MKU) recently unveiled a new esports training facility at its main campus, in partnership with Esports Kenya Federation, the national esports organisation.
