“Alongside, Not Instead”: BFBS Leaders on Gaming and the Armed Forces Community

BFBS Esports Pro League: From WWII Radio Roots to the 2026 Rocket League Champion

Background: BFBS's Wartime Origins and Modern Gaming Mission

BFBS began as a radio station during WWII, the Second World War. Its mission has since expanded beyond broadcasting to support the armed forces community through radio on operations, films on Royal Navy ships and gaming. Ben Chapman, BFBS CEO, describes esports as part of that same support duty: whether personnel are on a Royal Navy submarine or at a UK base, BFBS aims to provide consoles, games, subscriptions and competitions.

Before the Pro League final weekend, Esports Insider spoke with three people behind the project: Chapman; Adam Waters, BFBS Director of AI Culture and gaming; and Robert Wylie, Head of BFBS Esports. Waters combines AI safety guidance for BFBS staff, the goal of making BFBS a home for gaming for the UK armed forces community, and oversight of a charitable Academy that helps veterans enter the creative industries. That mix of radio history, technology, gaming and career support frames the event's longer timeline.

Development: How BFBS Esports Built a Community Around the Pro League

The Pro League developed as an inclusive competition rather than a closed service-only tournament. It brought together serving personnel, veterans, reservists, MOD civil servants, cadets, families and the bereaved community. Chapman says all these groups belong to the armed forces community that BFBS serves as a charity, and the aim is to bring them together through entertainment wherever they are in the world.

Wylie says participants look for a bit of everything: serious competition, friendship, escape from military life and renewed connection with the community. He describes two core groups of players: hyper-competitive players seeking top-level play, and standard gamers who enjoy competition while connecting with peers through Rocket League, F1 or League of Legends. He says the Pro League has attracted players of all ages, ranks, services and backgrounds, and that many would not have crossed paths without those games. Wylie notes the phrase "No rank in the server", which he says was shamelessly borrowed from another military sport. The message is that rank, service and background matter less than shared interest and competition.

Military life shapes the format. Wylie says BFBS built tournament rules and event formats with flexibility from the beginning because deployment, training or a new tasking can happen at any time. Events usually take place during evenings, weekends are avoided because personnel often travel home to see family, substitute rules are relaxed, and an entire series can be rescheduled if needed so players can compete with full focus. The aim is for events to be a positive addition to busy schedules.

Development: Skills, Careers and Public Perception

Gaming culture inside the UK Armed Forces is close to civilian gaming culture: many young people play games, and serving personnel often game together after work or voice chat with friends. Waters notes that he is a civilian and cannot describe military life from first-hand experience, but he sees armed forces values such as teamwork, communication and competitiveness becoming assets in esports. The UK Armed Forces recognise esports as an official, endorsed sport, with official associations in each service.

Waters also links gaming to community support and practical skills. He cites a Royal Air Force player who said gaming was an important outlet before joining and who now works as their version of an Air Traffic Controller, crediting gaming with skills used daily. Another player voice chats with children back home while gaming online, finding that more engaging than a traditional phone call. Chapman says gaming works in addition to sport, live events, film and music, not instead of them. He also points to UK Veterans Gaming as evidence of the power of community after service.

The skills discussion extends beyond socialising. Waters notes that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has shown that drone operators, often using equipment like gaming controllers, are crucial to Ukraine's defence. If the UK were ever involved in a major conflict, Chapman argues, the armed forces would need people with those same skills. He says attitudes among senior figures have changed, though some still doubt gaming, because people can see its social value and because the Ukraine conflict has shown why recruiting gamers matters for an effective, modern fighting force.

Between Season 1 and Season 2, the Pro League became a pathway. Wylie reports multiple players taking the next step in their careers by joining civilian teams looking to compete in the Rocket League World Championships, while others have moved into casting or production roles. He says the best part is seeing people use the platform to grow current skills or chase entirely new skills, aiming higher or trying something outside their comfort zone.

For Chapman, success is measured by data and by anecdotal evidence: young people flocking to BFBS gaming stands, Discord messages saying the community helps reduce isolation, and photos of people watching streams at bases across the country. He notes that participation figures doubled in a year, while acknowledging that some benefits are hard to put into numbers. Waters says the main barrier to wider participation is simply being too busy, because service members have many options when they are serving.

Latest Progress: The Pro League Finals at the Royal Air Force Museum

The BFBS Esports Pro League finished this weekend at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon. The final event opened with a panel featuring voices from across the forces, followed by a production Esports Insider credits to Jon Winkle and the EPIC.LAN team. The weekend culminated in a Rocket League Champion for 2026.

Wylie says the museum setting gave the public a chance to see a different side of the military. He wants visitors to understand that BFBS Esports is more than people playing video games: it is a place where participants challenge themselves, learn new skills and meet others. Behind the uniform, he argues, are people with the same passion and interest as everyone else.

Current Stage: Gaming as an Established Part of the BFBS Mission

The current stage is one of expansion and consolidation. BFBS is building on its WWII radio origins with a programme that treats gaming as a social, career and community support tool for the armed forces. Chapman says the ambition is to bring consoles, games, subscriptions and esports competitions to as much of the community as possible, including Royal Navy submarines and UK bases. Waters says BFBS wants to be the home of gaming for the UK armed forces community. Wylie describes the Pro League as a flexible, inclusive competition that connects players across rank, age, service and background.

For readers, the significance is that gaming is being used to sustain morale, family contact, skill development and community connection during deployment, relocation and civilian transition. The 2026 Rocket League Champion at Hendon closes one chapter, while the BFBS Esports Pro League continues to establish gaming as a recognised part of armed forces life.