Scottish Esports Joins New UK Esports Advisory Panel
Ukie launched the UK Esports Advisory Panel at the London Games Festival, a new forum putting the esports industry in direct conversation with Government. Scottish Esports CEO Mark McCready is on it, sitting alongside Esports Wales, British Esports, Riot, EA, Fnatic, BLAST, and others.
Mark had this to say on the appointment:
"Being part of the new UK Esports Advisory Panel is a significant step forward for our community. This panel is an opportunity to share the pains, struggles and successes of the development and work being carried out across the home nations. By sitting at the table with the UK Government and major stakeholders, we can ensure that Scotland's unique voice and potential within the esports ecosystem are not just heard, but actively shape future policy across the UK."
Alongside this, Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray announced the UK Games Fund with grants from £20,000 for early-stage studios up to £250,000 for those looking to grow.
Neilzinho Named GB Valorant Head Coach for the Esports Nations Cup
Following last month's Team Great Britain announcement, April brought exciting ENC coaching news for Scots. Neil 'Neilzinho' Finlay has been confirmed as Head Coach for Great Britain's Valorant squad at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup. Nine coaches were named across titles including League of Legends, Rocket League, Rainbow Six: Siege, and DOTA 2, with the CS2 and Apex Legends appointments coming later alongside their rosters.
Neilzinho's been Head Coach at Team Heretics for four seasons. He built a team of rookies from scratch, brought UK talent Benjyfishy into the fold, and won the 2025 Esports World Cup. He's one of the most respected coaches in European Valorant, and getting him into the GB setup is a real step forward for Scots in Esports.
Rosters need to be in by May 10th, so player announcements are the next thing to watch.
Scotland Returns to the FIFAe Nations League 2026
Scotland are back. The Scottish FA has confirmed the Men's National Team's return to FIFAe competition for the FIFAe Nations League 2026, played 2v2 on eFootball. Adam Ryan and Gary 'Big Stuff' McInnes make up the playing squad, both familiar faces in the Scottish eFootball setup, with Marc Marley coming in as coach. The group stage ran through April with matches against Portugal, Lithuania, Belgium, and Georgia, feeding into Continental Championships qualification later in the year.
IOC Reportedly Suspends Esports Commission Operations
The IOC has quietly put its Esports Commission on hold. New President Kirsty Coventry has been reviewing how esports fits into the Olympic world since taking over from Thomas Bach, and the word coming out is that the Commission's work has either been paused or wound down. She's talked about wanting a more "integrated approach," which in practice means no dedicated esports body, just folding it into existing Olympic structures.
International Olympic Committee
This comes after the Saudi Arabia hosting deal collapsed in October 2025. That agreement had been set up to anchor a series of Olympic Esports Games in Riyadh from 2027, but a mix of disputes over publisher IP rights, arguments about first-person shooters being classed as "violent," and complications around national representation formats all played into it falling apart. Esports still appears in events like the Asian Games, but a full Olympic tie-in looks a long way off right now.
No Man's Land IV Is Coming to Inverness
The Highlands Major is back. No Man's Land IV is confirmed for September 12th, 2026, in Inverness and this year's lineup is the biggest yet with six titles on the card: Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, Guilty Gear Strive, Super Smash Bros Melee (Singles and Doubles), and Divekick.
Returning fan favourites from last year include the Bounty System and improved space for TCG and board games, with additional side events also in the works. The organisers are pushing hard to make this one worth the trip whether you're a top competitor or just a fighting game fan looking for a great day out in the Highlands.
Early Bird signups are open now — sign up here.
Lystic Shines as Lowkey W Win Deadlock Night Shift #37
Scottish player Lystic helped Lowkey W claim the top spot at Deadlock Night Shift #37 EU, taking down the dominant Abrahams squad in the grand final. It was a standout personal performance from Lystic, who went 18 and 7 in the first game before finishing the series tied for the most kills across the whole final.
Night Shift #37 was a record breaker too, with a combined prize pool of $5,340 across both the NA and EU regions making it the biggest in the tournament's history.
Deadlock esports is still finding its feet as a competitive scene, but Lystic hasn't waited around, he's already competing at the top level in Europe representing Scotland in the process.
MysticSmash Goes Back-to-Back at EDINBRAWL V
EDINBRAWL V ran on April 11th at The Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh, and MysticSmash owned the whole day. He topped both the Street Fighter 6 and 2XKO brackets to take a double, and the 2XKO win wasn't just a trophy either, it qualifies him for the 2XKO EU Tour Finals. The SF6 bracket alone had 77 players, with Pingutaro finishing second and Matt Hazard taking third.
Tekken 8 went to pagani across a 63-player field, and Patriarch Panda took Guilty Gear Strive. Over 160 competitors across the whole event. Another quality showing from Rushdown Edinburgh.