“H20 eSports campus wants
to become the number one esports location
in Western Europe”

Although the Netherlands is a small country, we can play a serious role in the field of esports. That is what Dirk Tuip, CEO of H20 eSports campus, says. From this campus, he tries to create the conditions for a successful esports ecosystem. He talks about his ambitions – to make H20 the number one esports location in Western Europe – and the impact the Metaverse has on esports.

“I have two other companies, an online marketing company and a software company, through which I discovered two things. I saw that it was difficult to excite young people and that they love gaming. We started an initiative in the field of gaming to keep young people engaged for longer, but soon realized that gaming can also be used to empower them and teach them new skills. My advice is not to game less, but to game more meaningfully. Let that also be a tip for parents who are concerned about their gaming child. Inspired by the Google Campus, we have developed a physical location where talent and companies come together in an ecosystem. H20 eSports campus should become an institute in the field of esports. We are well on our way.”

“We have developed a multi-company building and an esports/gaming hall where the ecosystem for esports, tech, and gaming can thrive. Esports is not yet as big in the Netherlands as it is in other countries, where international top matches are sold out and top players are adored. Nevertheless, the sport is growing rapidly every year. We are bringing knowledge together in one place and expect gaming to become a social, meaningful activity, where people physically meet each other again.”

“One of the components of the campus is the H20 Arena, a stadium where we organize esports competitions. It is a plug-and-play solution for esports matches, where it is easy to record games and even real stadium sounds can be heard. Such a professional setting greatly accelerates the development of esports talent.”

“The pandemic impacted our business because we often had to close our doors due to the lockdowns and had limited access to support packages. Now that this is – hopefully – behind us, we can continue building on our mission: to become the number one esports location in Western Europe. The campus is not just a collection of buildings, but also a community. Tenants automatically become members of a business club, which meets four times a year.”

We also have a partnership with the province of North Holland, which allows us to nominate startups for their accelerator program twice a year. In fact, we function as a platform for our members. By the way, there are still spots available on our campus for those who are interested.”

“Worth mentioning: for quite some time, other cities have been asking us to start an H20 location there as well. At first, we held off, but thanks to a partnership with Pathé, we have been able to scale up smartly. Esports competitions are held in cinema halls, giving local talent a chance. This also shapes our scouting process. We can further guide tech and esports talent on campus. Together with our partners, this allows us to reach an even larger audience.”

“Of course. There are two companies that we have nominated for the province’s accelerator program. These companies not only have a good idea, but also revenue and customers. ShowYourSkills, a company that offers challenges to football players, is one such company. It is developed as a game: football players do the exercises and their submissions are assessed by coaches. That represents the future of sports. They now want to scale up towards other sports besides football.”

“Hado is another promising startup. Hado is a form of dodgeball, like you know from school, but with modern technology. Through AR (Augmented Reality), reality is enriched with digital elements, such as ‘energy balls’ that you can throw at your opponent. This way, participants stay active in a fun way.”

“In that respect, I follow the advice I received from Johan Cruyff during my studies at the sports academy named after him: think about your career after your sports career while you are still an athlete. From a young age, I played handball, all the way up to the national team. The lessons I learned there, I now apply to esports.”

“Back then, I learned that it’s not just about the sport itself, but also about other factors. Think of mental coaching and performance coaching; every individual needs different guidance. There is a world to be gained through cross-pollination between traditional sports and esports. There is also much value to be added in the area of nutrition, as well as in training hand-eye coordination and the reaction speed of someone’s eyes.”

“At the moment, it’s a buzzword; you hear a lot of people talking about it. Many investments are being made in companies that focus on the Metaverse. At the same time, I think: there already is a Metaverse, a virtual reality where we come together, on our smartphones and PCs. Most online games already take place in a virtual reality.”

“Still, I have high expectations for the Metaverse. Many innovations start in gaming and trickle down to other sectors, for example, play to earn and NFTs. The rise of the Metaverse will undoubtedly come with a few ups and downs, hypes and dips. Yet so many investments are being made in this sector that the Metaverse will undoubtedly fulfill its promise.”

“Although the Netherlands is a small country, there are many sports in which we compete at the highest level. At the Olympic Games as well, we never hide our ambitions. The fact that the Netherlands often achieves its sporting ambitions is because we are inventive and work well together. Even though esports are bigger in China, where it is truly a national sport, we can also compete with the top in the long run. Fortunately, we have a lot of creative and technical talent, so that offers perspective. If you are not big, you have to be smart.”