Gaming has gone from the classroom distraction to the classroom conversation. Educators are starting to see how play can power learning — teaching collaboration, focus, and digital fluency in ways traditional methods can’t. But as schools and universities rush to plant a flag in esports, it’s worth asking a harder question: are we building skills for the real world, or just adding a shiny logo to the prospectus?

Globally, the evidence is promising. Structured gaming has been linked to stronger problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills. For students who don’t connect with traditional sports, esports offers a fresh entry point for belonging and competition. It’s also a powerful gateway to STEM — making coding, analytics, and media production feel relevant through play.

That’s exactly why we’re investing in this space through the Ireland Esports Schools Series — not just to build competition, but to build capability. Our newly formed Schools Advisory Committee is helping shape a dual model: one track for sport, one for education. The goal is simple — help schools use gaming to teach transferable skills that stick.

But here’s where it gets tricky. While some universities have gone all-in with esports degrees, the question is whether the industry can sustain that level of specialisation. For all its growth, esports remains a small global job market, and most roles sit around the ecosystem — in marketing, media, business, and tech — rather than within it.

A standalone esports degree risks preparing students for a niche that doesn’t yet have the depth or volume of opportunity to justify it. Esports isn’t medicine or law — it’s a specialism, not a discipline. Embedding esports within broader programmes (business, computing, media, education) is far more sustainable, giving graduates both relevance and flexibility.

Esports shines brightest when it’s used as a tool, not an endpoint. It’s a way to teach modern skills, boost engagement, and connect students to industries they can actually build a career in. That’s the balance we’re chasing at Nativz: build the passion through play, but keep the pathways grounded in reality.

In short, gaming in education isn’t about creating esports professionals — it’s about creating future-ready people.