XP The international esport & gaming school

What XP The international esport & gaming school does

XP The international esport & gaming school (operating as XP by e-artsup, legally XP School SAS, RCS 88531987100012) is a France-based private higher education institution founded in 2018 and wholly owned by IONIS Education Group, the country's largest private education conglomerate. The school delivers state-certified (RNCP Level 6 and Level 7) Bachelor (Bac+3) and MBA (Bac+5) programs focused exclusively on the business functions of the video game and esports industry — including marketing, event management, player coaching, streaming/capture, game design, digital communication/influence, and emerging metaverse/creative design specializations. XP integrates academically with e-artsup for creative dimension and operates subsidiary PHG Academy (a pro-gamer training center co-created with PowerHouseGaming in January 2020) and the Titan Esport competitive club.

The core educational product is delivered across five French campuses (Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Lille) with a project-based pedagogy that includes real client challenges, gaming start-up creation, and Twitch charity events. Revenue is generated primarily through tuition fees (MBA tuition disclosed at €8,200–€8,500/year), supplemented by OPCO-funded alternance (apprenticeship) arrangements that shift payment to French Skills Operators. Customer acquisition is direct-to-consumer through the xp.school website, XP Days open-house/immersion events, gaming industry presence (Paris Games Week, ZEVENT, Lyon e-Sport, Barrière Esport Tour), and cross-promotion within the IONIS Education Group network. Approximately 600 students are currently enrolled across all campuses. Reported outcomes include a 92% professional integration rate, 95% certification success rate, and 91% satisfaction rate for MBA programs.

The business is governed by a SAS corporate structure under IONIS Education Group, with no independent venture funding disclosed. Strategic partners include Game One (media, partnership renewed for 2025), Lille Esport (esports team), e-artsup (creative co-integration), PowerHouseGaming and PHG Academy (pro-gamer training), and IONIS Education Group (parent and cross-school referral). Reported certifications include "Certification Qualité" for AF and CFA training actions and multiple RNCP-registered titles.

Name

XP The international esport & gaming school

Legal name

XP School SAS

Website

https://xp.school

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

XP School is a French private higher education institution (founded 2018, IONIS Education Group subsidiary) delivering RNCP-certified Bachelor and MBA programs in video game and esports business across five campuses to ~600 students, with revenue from tuition and OPCO-funded apprenticeships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Esports and Gaming

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Esports & Competitive Gaming Programs (EDALAIAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

University/School Esports Facilities & Training Centers (MPAFALAF), Collegiate/Scholastic Esports Programs & Leagues (MPAFADAK)

Keywords

• Esports education
• Gaming business training
• Video game careers
• Esports higher education
• Gaming industry programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition fees: Revenue generated from student tuition fees for Bachelor and MBA programs. Some programs are covered by OPCO for apprentices in alternating training.
2. Government-funded training: Programs may be covered by OPCO (Skills Operator) for students in alternating training (apprenticeship) arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

XP School delivers Bac+3 (Bachelor) and Bac+5 (MBA) higher education programs focused on the business functions of the video game and esports industries, including marketing, event management, streaming, game design, communication, and player coaching. Programs are delivered across multiple French campuses using a project-based pedagogy that incorporates real client challenges, startup creation, and professional internships. The institution also operates the PHG Academy for professional gamer training and the Titan Esport competitive club.

Product overview

XP The international esport & gaming school is an educational institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of video game and esports programs. The core offering consists of Bachelor programs (Bac+3) with 5 specializations (Streaming & Captation, Game Design & Création, Marketing des Jeux Vidéo, Influence & Communication Digitale, Événementiel Esport, Coaching et Management de Joueurs, Creative Design & Metaverse Industry) and MBA/Master's programs (Bac+5) including Gaming & Esport, Game Design et Game Producer, Événementiel Esport & RP, Communication & Influence, and Marketing & Brand Content. The institution also operates PHG Academy for professional gamer training and the Titan Esport Club for competitive teams. Programs are delivered across 9 campuses in France (Paris, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Rennes, Strasbourg) with a project-based pedagogy approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PHG Academy (PowerHouseGaming Academy): National esports training center partnering with XP School for professional gamer development programs from middle school through post-Bac, created through IONIS Education Group and PowerHouseGaming partnership in January 2020.
• Titan Esport

Products and services

• Bachelor Gaming & Esport A 3-year undergraduate program (Bac+3) covering the fundamentals of marketing, communication, and event management in the video game sector, with multiple specializations including streaming, game design, marketing, event management, and player coaching. Targeted at post-Bac students seeking entry into the gaming and esports industries.
• Bachelor Game & Business Bachelor program combining gaming studies with business and commercial development skills, aimed at students seeking careers at the intersection of games and commerce.
• MBA Gaming & Esport A 2-year professional Master's program (Bac+5) focused on esports brand management, business and marketing expertise, project management, and team leadership in the gaming industry. Aimed at professionals and career changers seeking senior roles.
• MBA Game Design et Game Producer A 2-year professional Master's program (Bac+5) developing expertise in game design, game production, and game development, covering narrative design and the full game development lifecycle. Targeted at aspiring game producers and designers.
• MBA Événementiel Esport & RP MBA specialization focusing on event management and public relations within the esports and gaming industry, preparing students for event production and communications roles.
• MBA Communication & Influence MBA specialization covering communication strategies and influencer marketing for the esports and gaming sector, equipping students with digital influence and brand communication skills.
• MBA Marketing & Brand Content MBA specialization focused on marketing strategies and brand content management for gaming and esports brands, aimed at future marketing leaders in the industry.
• MBA Direction Artistique et Game Design MBA program focused on artistic direction and game design methodologies, training students for creative leadership roles in video game production.
• PHG Academy (Pro Gamer Training) National esports training center integrated with XP School offering 2-year programs to develop professional gamers, from fundamentals to advanced coaching, in partnership with IONIS Education Group and PowerHouseGaming. Targets aspiring professional esports athletes.
• Titan Esport Club Esports club created by PHG Academy offering competitive teams in Fortnite, Valorant, League of Legends, Rocket League, Street Fighter, and FIFA for regular practice and national/international competition. Provides competitive gaming infrastructure for students and professionals.
• XP Days (Orientation Events) Orientation program including open days, immersion days, and personalized admission sessions to discover XP School and the gaming/esports industry. Aimed at prospective students evaluating the school.
• Alternance Program Work-study program allowing students to combine academic study with professional experience in gaming and esports companies, available from year 3 of Bachelor. Tuition covered by OPCO for apprentices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% professional integration rate within the gaming industry
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Game OnecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025XP School and Game One, the famous French gaming and pop culture channel, have renewed their partnership for 2025. Game One is a media partner providing visibility and content collaboration for XP School's activities.
• e-artsupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerXP is integrated within e-artsup, an excellence school in motion design, artistic direction, and video games. The two schools share common projects to create cross-functional skills valued by companies.
• IONIS Education GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerXP School is a member of IONIS Education Group, France's leading private higher education group, providing institutional backing and cross-school collaboration opportunities.
• Lille EsportmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLille Esport is an emerging esports team in the French gaming landscape, created in 2021. The partnership focuses on student internships, professional interventions, and talent spotting for future esports professionals. Students cover and cast Lille Esport matches as part of their practical training.
• PowerHouseGamingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPowerHouseGaming (founded 2016) co-founded PHG Academy in January 2020 with IONIS Education Group to provide professional esports training for young people from middle school through post-Bac.
• PHG AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHG Academy is the national esports training center created through the partnership of IONIS Education Group and PowerHouseGaming, offering the Titan Esport club and professional gamer training programs.
• Titan EsportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTitan Esport is the esports club created by PHG Academy in 2019, offering regular competitive gaming activities for students and professionals across multiple games including Fortnite, Valorant, League of Legends, Rocket League, Street Fighter, and FIFA.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gaming Campus: French private school group (Lyon, Paris, Bordeaux) offering Bachelor's and MBA programs in gaming, esports business, game design and development. It is XP's closest head-to-head competitor in France's gaming business higher education market, replicating the same program structure and target segments.
• ESGI (École Supérieure de Gestion et d'Informatique): French private school (part of Réseau GES) offering Bachelor and MBA programs across IT, game programming and digital. It overlaps with XP on technical gaming curricula and competes for post-Bac candidates interested in careers inside the gaming industry.
• 3iS (Institut International de l'Image et du Son): French school group (Élancourt, Bordeaux, Paris) delivering programs in cinema, sound, animation and video games. Its game track competes with XP on game careers at the undergraduate and graduate level and addresses the same prospective French gaming-industry cohort.
• Rubika (Supinfogame, Supinfocom, ISD): Indian-French group of game design, animation and digital arts schools in Valenciennes, Montreal and Pune. Supinfogame is the principal French competitor for game design and 3D animation graduates entering the French gaming industry.
• Webschool Factory: French private school offering MBA programs in web marketing, e-business and digital. It targets similar postgraduate candidates interested in digital business careers and is a peer for marketing-style MBA applicants considering XP's Communication & Influence or Marketing & Brand Content MBAs.
• ICAN (Institut de Création et d'Animation Numériques): French private school (Seidan Group) specializing in animation, 3D and video game art. It overlaps with XP's creative/design specializations (Bachelor Creative Design, MBA Direction Artistique Game Design) and competes for the same designer-oriented applicants.
• ENJMIN (École Nationale du Jeu Vidéo et de l'Expérience Interactive): Public French Master-level school (under Cnam) located in Angoulême that trains video game professionals across design, programming and production. It competes with XP's MBA Game Design / Game Producer program for talent moving into the French game industry.
• E-Art Paris / Supdepub / HETIC: HETIC is a French private school for digital professions (web, digital marketing, data) overlapping with XP's marketing/esports specializations. Several sister schools under the IONIS Group ecosystem (such as e-artsup, XP's direct partner) have analogous positioning for digital business careers.

Broad incumbents

• Staffordshire University (Games Design & Esports): UK public university with established Game Design degrees and one of Europe's first dedicated university esports facilities. It benchmarks the higher-education, applied-research style of esports education that XP might aspire to evolve into at greater scale.
• Full Sail University: Large US private university offering specialized degrees in game design, film, music and entertainment business with strong esports program ties. While US-based, it is a comparable reference point for what a fully dedicated gaming/esports higher education institution looks like at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/xp_esport
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxaEQhv5A6lwsrQ9I8ujeGQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/XPesport
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/xp-the-international-esport-gaming-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/xpschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about XP The international esport & gaming school