Today, the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) and ggCircuit announced a partnership to create a process to certify esports venues.
This will be the first certification system for esports venues. This partnership will require esports venues to both “meet and exceed” the requirements set by the ESIC, which will be powered by ggCircuit’s programs. These include ggLeap software, ggRock software, and ggRock hardware.
Venues that meet these requirements will become Officially Certified Esports Venues. This process is meant for both the largest venues as well as local esports spots for smaller play-in type tournaments.
This will be the first venture of its kind in the world, and the new process should help ensure that venues are well-equipped to handle everything esports tournaments can require. This also protects pro players and attendees, too.
The new certification process will be released in phases, giving venues time to meet each goal.
The ESIC has been ramping up its presence as the leading group in the esports industry this year. At the start of the year, it partnered with the World Intellectual Property Organization Arbitration and Mediation Center (WIPE AMC) to create the International Games and Esports Tribunal (IGET) to be a global esports dispute resolution body.
ggCircuit is also no stranger to the gaming industry, as infrastructures around the world use its software and hardware, including universities, esports centers, and LAN areas.
Stephen Hanna, the Chief Executive Officer of ESIC, shared thoughts on the new partnership between ESIC and ggCircuit:
“This partnership marks the establishment of yet another critical component of integrity infrastructure; the ability to reliably deploy local events in a manner that offers consistent expectations of competitive integrity. This is a meaningful step forward in our commitment to raising the standard of integrity across every layer of the esports ecosystem. A global network of ESIC Certified venues offer a unique opportunity to anchor esports in environments that prioritise fairness, safety, and accountability. By combining ESIC’s integrity expertise with ggCircuit’s technology and network of venues, we are proud to be establishing the first truly integrity-compliant global venue network.”
SVP of ggCircuit, David Williams, also shared a statement:
“By integrating ESIC’s integrity training and accreditation program into ggCircuit’s industry-leading platform, this partnership enables gaming venues to host professional-grade tournaments while providing publishers, and tournament operators access to an international network of local venues for leagues and sponsored events. We are proud to support the development of a truly unified global esports ecosystem.”
The partnership between ESIC and ggCircuit was first signed on during the Global Esports Industry Week 2025, though it was officially announced today.