Esports Around The World is a series of profiles outlining the esports ecosystem in various countries globally. The series ties into our ESI Washington DC event, which took place from 16-18th May 2022 and focused on esports’ growth around the world.
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Introduction
Iceland is a small, remote island in the Atlantic ocean, but its esports ecosystem far outstrips its size. Iceland is home to a surprisingly mature grassroots scene, spurred by the work of the Icelandic Esports Association, in connection with local government.
Riding on the back of its renowned traditional grassroots sporting infrastructure, a host of local sporting clubs have opened esports divisions since 2018, each with paid professional coaches and training regimes in place.
In traditional sport, the country has won a vastly disproportionate number of major sporting accolades compared to its population. In esports, the emphasis is still mostly on the grassroots level, although it is home to professional Overwatch players such as Finnbjörn ‘Finnsi’ Jónasson and Hafþór ‘Hafficool’ Hákonarson, as well as Rocket League player and coach Gabríel ‘OSM’ Benediktsson.
Despite hosting little in the way of major events prior to 2020, Iceland played a key role in hosting the first esports LANs amidst the near-global LAN hiatus during the pandemic. Due to its isolated location and small population, Iceland fared extremely well during the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning restrictions were much more lax.
The country received widespread attention by hosting the 2021 League of Legends World Championship, Mid-Seasonal Invitational, and VALORANT’s VCT Stage 2 Masters in 2021, the first major LAN events to take place since COVID forced esports back into the digital realm.
The Icelandic Esports Association told Esports Insider in an interview in 2021 it plans to turn Iceland into a top-five esports nation by 2025.
Government Recognition
The city of Reykjavík — Iceland’s capital and home to the vast majority of the country’s population — has helped support the expansion of Iceland’s traditional grassroots infrastructure to esports. Working with the Reykjavík city council, the Icelandic Esports Association helped pass a council proposal to support local sports clubs in opening esports departments and facilities.
Local Reykjavik officials also supported publishers and tournament organisers in helping bring major Tier 1 tournaments to Iceland during the pandemic.
In 2019, Icelandic esports organisation DUSTY posted a picture of Iceland’s President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson holding up one of its esports jerseys. The country’s Prime Minister has also met with representatives from the Icelandic Esports Association to discuss esports in the country.
Notable Tournaments & Leagues
Iceland is involved in a range of domestic and regional leagues that feed into Europe-wide competitions, particularly in League of Legends. The country also saw major Tier 1 events held in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in 2021.
Notable Esports Organisations
Note that this is a non-exhaustive list and exclusion does not signify an org is not notable.
National Associations / Federations
Note that inclusion in this list does not suggest any acknowledgement from ESI of its authority, works or official capacity.
Education Initiatives
The Icelandic Esports Association works with local clubs to provide courses and training sessions for local youth. The sessions include structured environments with coaches, training and exercise regimes, designed to provide a holistic framework for young people in Iceland to healthily engage in esports.
According to its website, XY Esports offers a paid XY Esports Electronic Sports Course, which combines in-game practice with training in goal setting, all-round exercise, mental and physical strength, and coordination.
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This is a preliminary country profile and will be augmented with additional information over time. If you have any suggestions or feedback for this profile, please get in touch at [email protected]
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