Hi there,

If August was about big reveals, September was about the grind.

We shifted gears from strategy to execution — getting everything in place for the return of the Collegiate Series (now two weeks in) and the first full season of the Office Showdown: Company Series which starts next week. That meant tightening systems, onboarding partners, rallying student reps and getting our networks firing again with the summer well and truly over.

The result? The strongest-ever participation numbers for our Winter semester in eight years of the Collegiate Series — a milestone built on focus.

And while competitions took centre stage, we also made quiet but important progress elsewhere. The Schools Series Advisory Committee held its first meeting and we continued gearing up our consultancy services, ready to support partners across the industry.

September wasn’t glamorous — but it was necessary.

Our short reads, long reads, successes, challenges…well you know the rest, they follow below 👇🏼

🗞️ In Focus – This month’s In Focus looks at the rise of gaming in education — the opportunities it unlocks, and the hard questions it raises. Can esports really stand as its own degree, or should it remain a tool within a broader skillset?

Here’s our selection of short and long reads from across the esports and gaming media;

🚀 Red Bull Joins the Ireland Esports Collegiate Series, a huge moment for the ecosystem as a whole. Activations are already in motion, and we can’t wait to share what’s planned for students across Ireland.

🚀 Schools Advisory Committee met for the first time, marking an important step in shaping how esports integrates into secondary schools. This group is guiding how we build a new framework as a sporting equivalent and a tool for developing key life skills.

🚀 Company Series Ready for Take-Off next week for the full 2025/26 Series, from pilot to full launch. With Alumni stepping up to help companies fill rosters and build team culture around play, it’s set to become a key commercial pillar.

The internet was supposed to make it easier to build and connect. Somewhere along the way, we lost the plot.

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On November 13, they’re unveiling what’s next at their first-ever Winter Release Event. For the people shaping the future of content, community, and media, this is an event you can’t miss.

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Scaling up means levelling up — across everything.

With the Ireland Esports Leagues structure now live, our challenge has shifted from building it to running it at scale. We’re managing record engagement, new sponsors, and an expanding footprint across Schools, Collegiate, and Company — each with its own rhythm, expectations, and audiences.

⚙️ Operational Stretch

As participation grows, so does the pressure on our systems and people. Coordinating two live competitions (while developing a third), onboarding dozens of new teams — the challenge now is to grow efficiently, not just quickly.

📈 Balancing Series Impact

Each series serves a different purpose. The Schools and Collegiate Series are about reinvestment — building pathways, communities and volume. The Company Series is about conversion — turning that momentum into commercial sustainability. Balancing those two worlds without losing quality or purpose is an ongoing test.

💬 Communication at Scale

More participants mean more voices, more messages and more moving parts. Ensuring consistency and clarity across teams, reps, universities and companies has become its own operational muscle. It’s working — but it takes focus and constant refinement.

The good news? These are growth challenges, not survival ones. They’re the signs of a system that’s working — and stretching in all the right directions.

This month, we’re calling on your help to fill out the final few spots in the Office Showdown: Ireland Esports Company Series — and this time, we’re looking for individual players as much as full teams.

♟️ Chess - Whether you’re a lunchtime tactician or a ranked grinder, perfect for solo sign-ups or small workplace rivalries. Join online here.

⚽ EA FC - Football meets the office. EA FC is our crossover title that bridges gamers and sports fans alike. Are you ready to represent your company? Join now.

If you know someone in Ireland who’d love to compete — or you’re ready to take part yourself — send them our way. These individual titles are how we make the Company Series open to everyone, not just the die-hards.

👉🏼 Register or nominate a player here

The following metrics are for the period of 1-30 September 2025:

Take a look at what we've got coming up:

📅 6 Oct - 28 Nov - Collegiate Series Winter Tournament underway

📅 20 Oct - 27 Nov - Company Series: Office Showdown Winter Tournament

📅 1 - 5 Dec - Collegiate Series Winter Finals Week

Regards,

Kurt & the Nativz Gaming Team