By Jacob Harmon
Esports is kicking it into high gear this semester at Southern Virginia University. If you didn’t know already, yes, there is an esports team on campus — It even has its own house with plenty of computers to play on. Because esports is still a newer program on campus, this article will help you get an idea of what’s going on in the esports community and maybe attract some new players.
Starting off with an attention grabber, players on the esports team can receive a financial scholarship of around $750 a semester for playing on the team. Now when we say team, there are multiple to choose from. There are five teams competing competitively this semester with each team planned to play at least thirteen games each.
The largest team there is League of Legends; a 5v5 game where you work as a team to defend your base to try and destroy the other teams. League of Legends is heavy with teamwork as each member has a specific role to fill in order to claim victory. It is streamed the most regularly at Twitch.tv on Mondays. Knights, feel free to hop on and support the team!
Halo is another larger team (and familiar to most). With the intense gunplay and familiar game modes like Capture the Flag, it is always a blast to play. The esports team is always looking for more people to build up another squad of 4 Spartans to jump in and fight for a Halo victory. Prepare for high action and constant shooting on the Halo team.
Now, we’ll jump into the competitive Valorant scene. This team shooter game takes a lot more timing and strategy than the constant action of Halo; you’re given less health and can get killed much quicker. This strategic shooter idea takes Valorant to the next level. Players have to work as a team to either plant a bomb and protect it, or work to disarm it. With flashy powers and high spikes of action, this game is plenty of fun to watch. Valorant will be starting their competitive games soon!
Next, we dive from a drop ship into the high paced Battle Royal of Apex Legends. In this game, members are playing in a group of three unique heros that are up against sixty other players. The goal of Apex Legends is to kill all the other competitors and become the champion. They will also be starting tournaments soon!
Finally, we have the smallest competing team. Overwatch 2 is another team shooter, but this time there are specific roles that need to be filled. This game has tight team play where everyone relies on each other. There is always action occurring throughout the game as players take on specific roles (while trying to detain components) — Fights and conflicts are always going on. Competitions for Overwatch 2 starts on Feb. 18.
While the above teams are competing this semester, there are always a few others that are going on in the background like Super Smash Bros or Rocket League. The community is always welcoming and willing to help out any individual with games. So, even if you haven’t played before, come and support the team, hop in on some games, and consider joining the esports crew!
Esports at Southern Virginia University: What You Didn’t Know was originally published in The Herald on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
