Guild Esports has signed a 10-year property lease for the creation of its global esports Guild Academy and corporate headquarters in London’s Shoreditch area.

The 9,831 square feet facility is located at the heart of the capital city’s booming technology hub and will open in Q2 2022. It will provide a state-of-the-art physical space for the Guild Academy to complement and support the world’s most comprehensive and innovative online training portal set up by Guild for budding esports stars and pro-players. The premises will also accommodate Guild’s head office functions and act as a central hub for its global operations.

In addition, the new premises will open a range of commercialisation, branding and sponsorship opportunities for Guild, including naming rights for the headquarters, for which discussions with potential sponsors are already in progress.

Modelled partly on the football academies set up by leading Premier League clubs, the Guild Academy will include esports training rooms, equipment, and gaming spaces. There will also be a specialist fitness training physio and psyche room to support the mental and physical well-being of Guild’s top pro-players as well as the most talented budding stars.

The HQ will house a dedicated content and editing suite, while streaming rooms will help drive content production, audience growth and in reaching new millennial audiences. There will also be a partner activation area and a Guild merchandise shop at high street level with a busy footfall.

Located at 2 Chance Street, London E1 6JT, the premises are being leased from Truman Estates Ltd and comprises three floors including a large roof terrace which will be used for hosting Guild events and sponsor-led campaigns.

Refit of the site, which was previously used as offices and a workshop, is underway. The lease terms include a 26-month rent-free period and a tenant-only break clause after five years.

Additionally, Guild’s Full Year Financial Results will be announced on 31 January 2022 and will be available to download on the Company’s website: www.guildesports.com.

Kal Hourd, chief executive of Guild Esports, said: “The creation of an iconic location for our Guild Academy and headquarters in London’s hottest technology hub will serve as a beacon and inspiration to our global fanbase, content creators, sponsors and other stakeholders.

“In addition to nurturing new talent and providing state of the art training grounds for our pro teams, we also expand upon brand recognition and unlock a range of commercialisation opportunities, which we look forward to realising in due course.”

David Beckham, co-owner of Guild and inspiration behind the Guild Academy, said: “I am really excited by the new global headquarters for Guild, which also sees the creation of a new home for the Guild Academy. This marks the next important stage in building Guild’s position as one of the world’s top esports organisations and it will be a focal point for our players, creators and our many global fans.”