eSports gamers are able to compete without masks or social distancing, thanks to Zoom.
The eSports Tournaments at WVU are not your typical Intramural Sports events. Instead of competing on the Evansdale Rec Fields, participants compete virtually, in a series of tournaments conducted on various gaming consoles. Participants’ keen use of strategy and teamwork, combined with quick reflexes and sharp hand-eye coordination, leads to intense, nail-biting matchups. eSports has been able to continue throughout the pandemic, and engagement is higher than ever. The mission of eSports is to “reach a niche group of students on campus who are looking for a group of people with similar interests,” according to Graduate Assistant for Competitive Sports, Emily Murphy.
On November 8th, the Competitive Sports Program hosted a Rocket League showdown. Rocket League is a game available on almost any platform, in which players control cars with the objective of using the force of the car to knock a soccer ball into a goal. The tournament consisted of 3 rounds of pool play, followed by a single-elimination bracket between the top four finishers of the earlier matches. Matchups were announced via Zoom, and the gamers could then exchange gamer tags, and play a 5-minute match that was streamed to all members. After submitting their scores to the facilitators, the winner of each game moved on to the next round. In a nail-biting championship game, the Zoom call was filled with the cheers and jests of the unmuted gamers, as they watched the final two competitors battle for first place. When the dust had settled, Kyle Schram defeated James Carroll in a 7-6 victory.
The Rocket League tournament showed increased levels of engagement from the players. Because Rocket League is accessible on many different platforms and doesn’t require much experience to participate, it enables all kinds of players to join in on the fun. The success of the Rocket League Tournament has prompted the WVU Intramural Sports Program to create a weekly league that will begin this Spring. Starting January 31st, teams of three can register to participate in scheduled games. These events will run for approximately four weeks. Beginning February 28th, the playoffs will commence and will run similar to the single-day event held this Fall. Most teams will qualify for this event, and their seeding in the tournament will depend on prior wins and losses, as well as point differentials.
If you’re interested in eSports, joining a team or playing in a one-day tournament can be a great way to meet new people with the same interests as you. Coming up, we will be hosting a Madden tournament on Sunday, November 29th, and an NBA 2K tournament on Friday, December 4th. To get involved, visit the WVUGo App or https://wvugo.wvu.edu/ and register today!
About the Author
Samantha Higley is a freshman who began writing for WVUGO in August 2019 with
an emphasis on Club and Intramural Sports. She plans to earn a degree in Neuropsychology
with a minor in History. Samantha is also on the Club Volleyball team at WVU.
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