Georgia Economic Developer Named ‘Game Changer’ in Esports

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Broadly recognized as the esports capital of the nation, Atlanta is one of the top cities in the U.S. for gamers. Georgia has become a Top 5 state for esports thanks to its active cultivation of the industry and was recently recognized by the Esports Trade Association (ESTA), the leading trade association for the esports industry, for its foresight and leadership. The organization recognized Asante Bradford, project manager for digital entertainment and media, as the honoree of its inaugural Esports Game Changer Award.

As part of the announcement during its recent ESports Next Conference, ESTA President John Davidson said, “Georgia is doing a lot to enable the development of esports as a whole, and it is really inspiring. From holding the first Esports Week to extending tax incentives to the industry at large, Georgia is forging the way forward for our industry and proving to be a true game-changer in how states and regions can attract this booming sector.”

Georgia is focused on powering the industry with the talent it needs to continue its explosive growth. In August, the first-ever Esports Workforce Academy was launched in conjunction with the Georgia Film Academy (GFA), in partnership with Skillshot Media, through Georgia State University’s Creative Media Industries Institute. The “GFA 3500 Fundamentals of Esports” class is an unprecedented public-private partnership that provides students with real-world professional workforce training while exploring the numerous career paths available at the nearly 160 esports companies located throughout Georgia.

“Collaborative partnerships like this pilot program between the Georgia Film Academy, Skillshot Media and Georgia State University have been critical to developing the state’s unrivaled gaming software development talent pipeline,” said the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Deputy Commissioner of Global Commerce Scott McMurray. “We look forward to seeing the opportunities this program creates for students across Georgia and for our world-class digital and esports recruitment team who work hard every day to attract prospective companies to the esports capital of the nation.”

With 12,000 direct and indirect jobs in digital entertainment, Georgia makes a $550 million economic impact in the digital entertainment industry every year.

The announcement by ESTA went on to highlight assets in Georgia, such as:

  • Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, which gives certain companies an annual tax credit of up to $1.5 million, with an annual statewide cap of $12.5 million, for developing interactive entertainment projects, such as console or computer games or mobile apps.
  • Home to franchises: Overwatch League and Call of Duty League.
  • Celebration of the first Esports Week ever to honor and celebrate the gaming community.
  • Host of numerous gaming and digital entertainment events throughout the year, including DreamHack – the world’s largest digital festival which hosts a series of events around the world and attracts over 300,000 gaming and esports enthusiasts annually.
    • A robust pipeline of talent for careers in the digital entertainment and gaming industries through Georgia’s colleges and universities also train a robust pipeline of talent for careers in the digital entertainment and gaming industries.
    • In 2019, the Technical College System of Georgia’s (TCSG) gaming-related programs received 87 awards and distinctions.
    • To date, TCSG has graduated more than 5,000 students in cyber or gaming degrees.
    • Georgia is one of the few states where esports is a sanctioned high school competition.
  • More than 160 companies that now develop games and employ programmers, designers, artists and musicians in the Peach State.

Since the onset of COVID-19, esports has seen additional growth, and Georgia companies have continued to benefit. Read about this growth in our blog here.

Learn more about the thriving esports industry in Georgia at: georgia.org/esports.

To read the full announcement by ESTA, click here.

- Posted November 10, 2020