The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) and esports venue solutions provider ggCircuit have formalised a partnership to create what they describe as the world’s first infrastructure framework for certified esports venues. The agreement was signed during the Global Esports Industry Week earlier this year.
The collaboration will combine ESIC’s competitive integrity standards with ggCircuit’s venue management technology to establish a certification programme for esports locations worldwide. The system will use ggCircuit’s existing technologies—including its ggLeap and ggRock software and hardware—to assess and validate venues against ESIC’s integrity requirements.
Facilities meeting the standards will be designated as Officially Certified Esports Venues. According to the organisations, these sites will offer trusted environments for competitive gaming and could be used for activities such as local qualifiers.
The rollout is expected to take place in several phases, allowing venues across different regions to apply for and achieve certification. ggCircuit’s network already spans esports centres, universities, and LAN arenas, which the partners say provides a foundation for global scalability.
ESIC Chief Executive Officer Stephen Hanna said the initiative adds “another critical component of integrity infrastructure” and will enable “consistent expectations of competitive integrity” for local events. He described certified venues as an opportunity to anchor esports in “environments that prioritise fairness, safety, and accountability.”
David Williams, Senior Vice President at ggCircuit, said the programme will integrate ESIC’s training and accreditation with ggCircuit’s platform, giving publishers and tournament organisers access to “an international network of local venues for leagues and sponsored events.”
ESIC works with stakeholders across the esports industry to combat cheating, match-fixing, and other integrity risks, while ggCircuit provides technology for managing esports venues, including player management and hardware maintenance.
