Liverpool’s first ever dedicated gaming venue has officially opened and Scouse innovation is placed front and centre.
leveltap, located in Liverpool ONE on Hanover Street, officially launched last night. The ECHO took a look around, alongside competitive esports players, industry figures and local politicians.
There are 10 top-of-spec console stations, all containing a Nintendo Switch and either a PS5 or an Xbox Series X, along with two racing simulators and 20 PCs. There’s a full food and drinks menu too.
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It’s also a place that is aiming to become home to a legion of professional streamers and esport tournaments. A higher mezzanine level has been designed for streamers and competing teams, with a stack of top-of-the-range gaming PCs.
Gameplay can be broadcast onto projectors and TVs around the venue, with a lower level arena seating more than 100 people. This is all the brainchild of Scouse businesspeople Adam Rydings and Callum Wilson, who wanted to create a unique space for professionals and casual gamers alike.
Speaking to the ECHO at the event, Adam said: “We’re trying to make Liverpool a hub for esports and provide a space where upcoming talents can use our space to hone that talent.”
Callum added: “The esports industry in the UK is very much in its infancy. We’ve looked abroad, what’s working and what isn’t, and tried to tailor that to the UK. But you can see it’s on a massive trajectory.”
There was plenty of established local talent at the event. Liam ‘Jukeyz’ James, a 26 year-old from West Derby, is a competitive Call of Duty player and streamer and has won numerous Warzone tournaments. Liam said: “Me doing well as a streamer has allowed me to look after my family. It’s given me something to give back to them.”
Liam hopes to host tournaments in leveltap, bringing gamers and fans from across the country and Europe to Liverpool. Kayleigh Wordley, a content creator for leading esports organisation Fnatic, agreed that the Liverpool venue stands out compared to other gaming-themed bars.
Kayleigh, a 26 year-old living in Wirral, said: “I’ve not seen many venues with a dedicated section for streamers. Not many venues do good food and good cocktails either. But leveltap has everything you can think of.”
There was a strong emphasis throughout the event on making the gaming industry more inclusive to women, which Kayleigh agreed with. She said: “A lot of women are terrified to step into it, and rightfully so. There’s still a lot of sexism, especially in FPS (first person shooter games). But I want to break that. I’ll go into competitive games, talk and normalise a woman’s voice.”
Steve Rotheram , mayor for the Liverpool City Region, was also at the launch. With talk of a potential esports arena somewhere in the UK, he is keen for the region to be leading the industry’s growth. Mr Rotheram said: “There are lots of high-value, high-paid jobs in this industry and we need more of this industry in the Liverpool City Region."
He added: “Adam and Callum, as first movers, have done something that people will look at and try to replicate. A Liverpool business which can grow and start to export this to other areas of the country.”
Gaming has long been an industry which some have not fully understood or even looked down upon. But that is starting to change now the childhood gamers of yesterday are the professional players and businesspeople of today. And Liverpool seems to be at the forefront of this change.
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