UKEL – Meet the Teams

Here at the UKEL, we pride ourselves on fostering grassroots talent from all across the UK. However, this talent doesn’t necessarily mean hitting the fastest Riven combos, or hitting the 200 vision score on Braum. There are other kinds of talent- the kind it takes to field a winning roster and bring it through the UKEL to victory. Although we all love to celebrate an MVP, sometimes it is the people behind the scenes who are the key to bringing a team to victory- and in the UKEL, our teams are comprised of focused, dedicated staff who are committed to helping the UK and Irish second division to grow into a flourishing environment for players to test their skills. All that being said, it seems only fair that we give them a platform to show off a bit; so here are our 2019 UKEL organisations!

CLIQUE GAMING

In the words of Clique Gaming’s Co-owner George ‘Spour’ Spour, ‘We’re simply here to prove that not only are we the best, but we deserve to be at the top.’ The organisation- founded in 2016 by co-owners Spour and Sam ‘Restless’ Rawlings- found its origins in the League of Legends scene, and has since expended to include Apex Legends and Super Smash Bros. teams, competing at tournaments around the UK. With a dedicated head of esports in Karl ‘blubs’ Batson, Clique has been making waves in the UK and Irish scene for a while now, bringing a strong competitive history to the UKEL.

RADIANT ESPORTS

Radiant’s ethos has been clear since their conception in 2015- to provide a ‘player-centric approach, and ensure that our own players and community are put first’. Having managed teams for both Call of Duty and Tekken, this is the organisation’s first venture into the competitive League scene, with founder Nathan ‘NoVaa’ Edmonds describing the advent of the UKEL as ‘our chance to start something special, something long-term for us here at Radiant.’ With backing from sponsors such as X-Gamer and GT Omega Racing, Radiant are looking to make a splash in the UK scene, backed up by a strong management and content team.

MYTHOS GAMING

Mythos is one of the UKEL’s younger organisations, founded in September of 2018 by Matt ‘Fozzii’ Dixon, ex-competitive Call of Duty player turned Managing Director. Despite their limited time in the scene, Mythos already boasts an impressive competitive history, with teams in CS:GO, Destiny, Call of Duty and Rocket League. They are venturing into the League of Legends scene with the aim of becoming ‘a long-standing figure within the League of Legends community, specifically the UK & Irish side of things’, seeing the UKEL as ‘the perfect opportunity’ to make their entrance against some of the more veteran organisations in our lineup.

LION’S CREED GAMING

‘Lion’s Creed may be small, but we’re brimming with hardworking talent […] we won’t let the bigger numbers or names of other teams stand in our way.’ These are the words of Lion’s Creed’s Abdiquani ‘True Rambo’ Ahmed, owner and ex-player who has decided to focus his attentions on building the scene from a managerial role. The organisation, formerly known as Lionhearts Gaming, is relatively new to the scene, but has already made an impact, winning tournaments at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in London, and narrowly missing the chance to qualify for the UKLC through Forge of Champions. They plan to make their mark in the UKEL with a team of ‘four rookies who’ve never been seen in the UK scene before’, and to prove themselves up against the UK’s old guard.

NUCLEAR STORM GAMING

Based in Ireland, Nuclear Storm have been a huge part of the Irish League of Legends scene since the organisation’s founding days. They also boast teams in Rainbow Six Siege and Rocket League, and with a roster of talented variety streamers under their belt the organisation has gone from strength to strength in recent years. As well as taking part in the UKEL, the organisation works to help support the Irish esports scene, providing sponsorships to Rocket League Ireland- providing opportunities for aspiring esports players in a way that aligns completely with the UKEL’s values.

BULLDOG ESPORTS

Founded by Army Sergeant Anthony Newton in 2014, Bulldog Esports is a mainstay of the UK and Irish professional esports scene. One of the UKEL’s most veteran teams, they have an extensive pedigree, and are ‘happy to support the UKEL in their inaugural split’. The organisation boasts an experienced managerial team in charge of rosters for League of Legends, Fortnite, and CS:GO, and enters the UKEL with years of experience under their belt. Founded on the core traits of ‘personal development, competition, and integrity’, the Bulldog brand is renowned across the UK and Irish scene- boasting a large network of fans who will support them in their venture into League’s second division.

VIPERIO ESPORTS

Viperio began as the dream of a 13 year old- founded by Christopher Sword, it has grown into one of the longest standing esports organisations in the UK scene, celebrating its sixth year of competition. It has moved on from its beginnings in the Call of Duty scene in 2013- now supporting teams in CS:GO, Halo and League of Legends. Their entry into the UKEL marks the inaugural performance of their rebuilt League of Legends squad, and they hope to impress in the UK’s second division, against stiff competition from teams across the isles.

ABSOLVED

Another fledgling in the UKEL flock, Absolved is a new organisation to the UK. Formed just this year by TJ ‘Nudo’ Harwood, the fresh-faced squad has already formed teams for CS:GO, PUBG, League of Legends, with aspirations to expand the organisation in the future to games like Hearthstone, Rocket League and Overwatch. In the words of Assistant Manager Jimmy ‘SinCyn’ Knox, ‘there is so much untapped potential that we are devoted to find, nurture and compete with’- an attitude that makes Absolved right at home in a tournament created as a space to explore the very best the UK scene has to offer.

This is it. Eight teams, crammed full of talent, just waiting for their chance to shine on the big stage. A combination of the old guard and young blood, a test that will single out the strong from the weak, a chance to prove yourself against all that the UKEL has to offer. With the support of their fans behind them, each team will battle it out to become the king of the UK’s second division- who do you think will take the crown?