The eSports movement has experienced strong growth in recent years, with the sector becoming increasingly professional as a result. Its turnover is expected to grow to $3 billion in 2022. The gaming world has a user base of over 500 million players globally, with an equal distribution of male and female competitors, in spite of any preconceived ideas.
Dacia Arena plays a key role in the Udinese eSports project, with the stadium set to host live eSports events which will attract gamers from Italy and other countries, given Udine’s strategic location between Italy, Austria and Slovenia. The ultimate objective of the project is to create a large community of eGamers around our new UDY brand, which we hope will bring together a young and diverse network of gamers, united by their passion for videogames, not just football. Live events at Dacia Arena will feature all the biggest games, including FIFA, PES, Formula 1, MotoGP, NBA, League of Legends, Fortnite and many more.
Through its activity in the world of eSports, Udinese intends to stay true to the values that have always been at the heart of the club, such as professionalism, passion and the pursuit of new talent, with a focus on developing both the person and the player. The Udinese eSports team was launched in February 2020, followed soon afterwards by the Udinese eSports eAcademy, which will form part of a comprehensive talent scouting and development programme. The results achieved by some eAcademy players have already shown the value of such efforts – seven of them were selected to take part in the first ever eSerieA Draft, while one was picked to participate in the eNational Team qualifiers.
Udinese eSports will compete in the second edition of eSerie A TIM 2021/22 with its two representatives and the drafted player.
The project is continually expanding. Over the last year, key figures in the competitive world have joined the team, such as the coach who takes care of all the technical aspects of the game, the mental coach, who plays a key role in managing nervous energy. Those choices were vindicated by the fact that a reputable sports journalism website handed the coach the best award for the best coach. The work by these professionals, along with our players’ innate ability, led to stunning results throughout the season. Finishing in the Top 4 in the first edition of the eSerieA TIM 2020/21 season and Dastardly_27 being named the MVP of the tournament are clear demonstrations of this.
On 24 September 2021, the creation of the D-Link Gaming House at Dacia Arena was completed, allowing gamers to get together, compete on a range of games and consoles and use some of the best products on the market.
The Udinese eSports team for FIFA 22 is currently made up of the following pro gamers:
Riccardo Nordio – Dastardly_27
Andrea Milanese – Mila898
Fans can watch all Udinese eSports friendly matches and competitive tournaments on the team’s official Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/udineseesports
