Andorra becomes the first official headquarters of Esports City League outside of Spain

The Principality becomes the first official headquarters of the Esports City League outside of Spain and will host the first edition of the Esports City Fest Andorra on May 20 and 21.

The acting Minister of the Presidency, Economy and Business of the Government and president of Andorra Business, Jordi Gallardo, and the CEO of Encom, the management company of the DreamHack brand in Spain, Arturo Castelló, announced this Wednesday at a press conference that Andorra will becomes the first official venue outside of Spain for the Esports City League, the largest amateur esports competition in Spain, which is now beginning its third season. This agreement implies the celebration in the Principality of the Esports City Fest Andorra, an international event open to the public that will take place at the Andorra Sports Center on May 20 and 21.
Registration for the Esports City League in Andorra is now open. This is the first international league in the sector in the country, in which any player can compete for free, either individually or by team. The winners will represent Andorra in an international league.

For its part, the Esports City Fest Andorra will be an event focused on esports in which Andorran players and teams will compete against players from Spanish and Portuguese cities, with the aim of winning and qualifying to compete in Dreamhack Valencia, the largest festival of videogames and digital leisure in Spain and part of the most important international circuit in the world, where Andorra Business will also attend, accompanying Andorran companies related to the sector.

The Esports City Fest Andorra will not only be a competitive esports event, but will also have an entertainment aspect aimed at fans of the world of video games and “Urban Style”, who will be able to enjoy different spaces in which shows will be organized of Freestyle such as cockfights, virtual reality spaces and simulators, a 3X3 basketball tournament organized by the Andorran Federation and relaxation areas will also be included. At the same time, a selected group of digital content creators (influencers) who are ambassadors of the Esports City League will participate, offering visitors the opportunity to meet their idols. In addition, recently, the presence of a professional Clash Royale circuit has just been confirmed, so the amateur part will come together with a professional variant.

Gallardo explained that participation in these events “positions Andorra in an amateur environment where initially it will compete with Portugal and Spain with the future objective of extending it to other European and American countries. It also improves the country’s innovative positioning within a growing sector , opens us to the new digital reality, to the tourism of the new generations and it is a great opportunity for the country’s brands to use the new communication channels to reach the digital public”.

Along the same lines, the director of Andorra Business, Judit Hidalgo, has pointed out that “the organization of this type of event is a great opportunity for our business fabric and we would like the maximum number of companies in the country to be able to position their brand in the new communication channels. In fact, we are talking with different actors in the country, who recognize the interest of the sector, to reach a new massive audience. At the moment we have confirmation of the collaboration of the Comú d’Andorra La Vella and soon we will announce other Andorran brands. At the same time, and following the provisions of Andorra’s strategic esports plan, we attach great importance to the educational aspect and we are coordinating with entities in the country as well as with the Ministry of Education, actions to reinforce this vertical”.

For his part, Arturo Castelló, CEO of Encom, commented that “this agreement seeks to position Andorra as a technology hub and recognized destination for the development of Esports Business, in order to attract entities and companies in the sector and continue to position Andorra in the industry of the esports. This project has an impact on four areas of influence directly related to the socioeconomic reality of the country: Education, Business, Tourism and Innovation, through an agenda of content and activities that will promote Andorra’s position as a reference in the sector”.

For this edition, where Andorra becomes the official headquarters of the Esports City League, they have opted for competitions in games such as Clash Royale, Rocket League, Fortnite and Marvel Snap. On the other hand, there will also be competition in F1 (Simracing) but only in person during the Esports City Fest Andorra. All these games will be accompanied by content creators such as Suja, DualView or RevolAimar, among others. In addition, there will be areas dedicated to gaming and virtual reality and it will be possible to compete in different games in the free-play area. There will also be a concert by Elesky, a pianist who has in his repertoire the soundtracks of the most recognized video games.

The Andorra Business agreement with Encom also includes the holding, during the second half of the year, of the first edition of the Esports City Talks in Andorra, dissemination and debate days that bring the reality of esports and gamer culture closer to the companies and professionals from sectors interested in the opportunities generated by this industry. In these conferences, prestigious professionals and academics will share their experience and vision on the impact of esports on society and the economy.

The Government of Andorra, together with Andorra Business, have developed this Strategic Plan to position the Pyrenean country as an actor in the value chain of the industry and the esports sector. In fact, Andorra has recently become the second country in Europe and fifth in the world to approve a law regulating the sector, and the first to approve the development of a Strategic Plan.