Every city thinks it could be the “next esports capital,” and no, London definitely isn’t

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is the latest guy to say his city will “lead the world in sport.” It sounds funny at first, sure, but it made me laugh in no time. How many hot “sports titles” do we need? A phrase that basically means nothing at the moment.

During a high-profile trade tour in Tokyo, where he crossed the Red Bull Gaming Sphere alongside the likes of Fnatic and Sony, Khan announced his absolute desire to make London the world’s gaming capital.

It’s a good idea supported by a new report from City Hall that explains how competitive sports can boost local economies and create great job opportunities for young people. London is even investing record numbers in its youth teams, upgrading its Wi-Fi and buying consoles for the next generation of gamers to practice their craft.

The economic argument makes sense on paper. The 2024 League of Legends Worlds Final at the O2 Arena brought in twelve million pounds ($15.8 million) to the city, while the 2025 BLAST Premier London Open brought in around thirty million pounds ($40 million). right now, VALORANT Masters in London he gets all the attention from esports fans.

But while London is busy building a brand new twenty-five thousand seat stadium with sporting events in mind, the announcement raises a pressing question: is there any room left at the table?

A major obstacle to the global takeover of London’s games is that the title of “sporting bull” is currently the crowning glory of entertainment. Recently, Paris actually boycotted the discussion after the Esports World Cup announced its move to France at the last minute. This is debatable, as some would say the EWC is a bit of a no-brainer, but there have been several prestigious esports events in Paris recently, including Evo and the RLCS.

If you look at the whole world, the competition is great. Seoul has been the spiritual and physical birthplace of professional gaming infrastructure for decades. Riyadh is currently throwing an incredible amount of oil money into the scene to build a true esports region from scratch.

Los Angeles is the operational headquarters of Riot Games and VCT, Katowice is the legendary, blood-pumping heart of Counter-Strike, and Tokyo is the historical mecca of fighting games.

When all the great cities of the Earth rush to plant their flag on the same ground, they say that the world leader hears “the old man shouts to the clouds.”

To give London others with credit, the city has a unique advantage that money cannot buy quickly: a large, naturally baked culture of fans. Anyone who watched the 2024 League of Legends Worlds Final knows that Britain’s esports crowds are made up in a completely different way.

The massive, ear-splitting energy inside the O2 Arena proved that the UK doesn’t just host events; they make football style glasses.

That true love is exactly what places like London and Paris are going for. While some well-funded regions can build pristine, state-of-the-art stadiums in the middle of the desert, they often struggle to replicate the soul, history, and genuine crowd chants that erupt in European stadiums. But it is not enough.

Sadiq Khan’s move is undoubtedly a big win for the UK gaming scene. Outside. Seeing a major political figure treat competitive sports with the same economic respect as traditional sports is a refreshing change of pace from the usual “video games are rotting your brain” propaganda of the past.

However, the UK applies a social media ban to anyone under the age of 16, barring young fans from Twitch, TikTok, and other platforms where the competitions will be broadcast. Fans can’t help but see the irony. Said one sports fan on Reddit in response to Khan’s bold claim: “The government is preventing the target audience from watching this.”

Some doubters jumped into the fray. I mean, what is esports without hate and criticism? A few esports fans have noted that the UK as a whole has no real influence on esports. This is because the UK sports scene has been “dead” for some time, perhaps due to a lack of local talent. And players believe it’s because London and other cities lack the infrastructure to support esports as a career option.

Simply announcing that you will have other competitions is not enough. If London really wants to lead the world, it cannot rely on hosting regular stadium tours. It should be a city where grassroots talent can live, grow, and build full-time careers without having to pack their bags for North America or Asia.

But the quest for the world crown will take more than a successful business venture and a few advanced routers in local community centers. London has venues, airports, and a rabid fan base that should be a permanent fixture around the world.

Whether it can overtake Paris, Seoul, and Riyadh to become a true capital remains to be seen. It’s a lofty goal that I don’t think the city can follow well. I don’t think Khan is aware of the huge structural and governmental changes needed to really support esports in London.

For now, local fans can just be happy that world-class tournaments are always on their doorstep. But capital esports? No. I don’t think so.