Former Fulham FC and Brentford FC Exec Launches Biggest Esports Talent Academy in Ireland

Nativz Gaming is building the biggest esports talent academy on the island of Ireland, providing aspiring Irish esports players with a clear ‘pathway to pro’. This new initiative will see the Academy provide the missing bridge between the Ireland Esports Collegiate Series and Nativz Esports Club.

Key Highlights:

• Biggest esports talent pathway to pro on the island of Ireland, drawing directly from the Ireland Esports Collegiate Series which serves the leading 16 universities and colleges
• Leveraging +10 years of senior experience in the top two tiers of English and Irish football, merging this with three years building a gaming and esports startup
• Providing opportunities across six game titles for community talent to advance in League of Legends, Valorant, Counter Strike 2, Rocket League, F1 24 and EA FC24 in the first instance

“This is the culmination of meticulus planning and development of the Ireland Esports Collegiate Series over the past two years,” said Kurt Pittman, Founder & CEO of Nativz Gaming. “Drawing from our experiences in professional sport academies and the learnings gained from innovating in this exciting industry, we think the time is right to complete the pathway for the Irish esports community.”

Since its inception back in May 2021, Nativz Esports Club has experimented with their original League of Legends Talent team. In 2022 they expanded into Valorant by signing a talented team straight out of the Collegiate Series who consequently signed with Wylde until they were recently released. In 2023 Michael ‘BBMuffin’ Smirnov was scouted from Ireland Collegiate into the Nativz League of Legends First Team for the NLC’s knockout cup competition the 2024 Aurora Cup.

In addition to supporting players, the Academy’s structured program will also cater for coaches, managers, analysts and content creators. Nativz Gaming’s leadership team have all emerged from within the Ireland Collegiate community, the most recent addition is Jan Biernacki to Lead the Academy. Jan joins as the incumbent Esports Society President for South Eastern Technological University (SETU).

“We’re adopting a hybrid model that ensures flexibility and accessibility across the island. In-person sessions will coincide with flagship Ireland Collegiate events such as the recent Spring Finals Weekend at Dogpatch Labs,” said Jan. “Our goal is to provide comprehensive support and resources that haven’t been available before, setting a new standard for esport talent development in Ireland.”

“We’re excited by the interest we’ve received from potential mentors to provide invaluable guidance and support,” Pittman continued. “Our holistic approach acknowledges that not every participant will pursue a professional esports career, yet each individual has the potential to contribute uniquely to our community.”

Current and Past Ireland Esports Collegiate Series players, creators plus aspiring coaches, manager and analysts are welcome to express an interest in joining the Nativz Esports Club Academy by completing their details in the application form which can be found online here. Further details will be shared with registered players and Alumni leading into the start of the 2024/25 Ireland Esports Collegiate Series.

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