David Beckham’s e-sports team is to set up corporate headquarters in Shoreditch, east London, after signing a 10-year office lease.
Guild Esports, which was incorporated in 2019 and has since floated on the London Stock Exchange, is to create a Guild Academy at 2 Chance Street, E1.
Expected to open in Q2, the building will house the company’s gaming academy, with training rooms, equipment, gaming spaces and a fitness studio.
It will also house Guild’s head office and act as a central hub for its global operations.
E-sports, or competitive video gaming, grew to a $1bn (£734m) industry in 2021, after a proliferation of teams and competitions across the globe during the pandemic.
A number of Premier League football teams now have their own e-sports arms, while other sporting giants such as Beckham have also invested in recent years.
Guild co-owner Beckham 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 e-sports organisations and it will be a focal point for our players, creators and our many global fans.”
The 9,831 sq ft premises is being leased from Truman Estates. The lease terms include a 26-month rent-free period and a tenant-only break after five years.
Chief executive Kal Hourd added: “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.”
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