When we were at Liverpool FC's Anfield stadium for the PES League's Road to Cardiff event, we caught up with two UK players, Bad_Boy_G and DexK, and we took the opportunity to talk to them about why the UK can sometimes lag behind in terms of esports.
"Do you know what it is, it's that we just don't play enough. It's just the time and effort. Me and Dex, we have a lot of commitments, we do our jobs 9-5, and I guess it's just that extra time that we don't put in compared to the other countries who put [in a lot of] time," Bad_Boy_G said. "Some of the other countries do have a big community [too], and they meet up together and play offline, which does give you that extra edge, because online/offline - it's very different. So the other countries get the edge. But I guess going forward for the UK maybe we can try and get more community tournaments, offline, just to give us the edge, and more time and practice will give us a better chance in the future."
We also talked to DexK about the same thing, to which he said: "I'm not sure [...] I think it will be. I think it's just a matter of time before it gets huge over here. I know in Asia they have a huge esports following don't they, but in comparison to the rest of Europe... I don't know. But I'm sure we will. I mean today is an incredible event, so I'm sure that it will turn big."
What do you think needs to happen for UK esports to grow?