In-person club sports may be on hold for the moment, but the ESports club has never been more busy. In January, the ESports club was merely an idea. Today, it is an NSU club sport where video game lovers can come together to compete and play with one another. Although currently not listed as an official club sport on the NSU website, ESports is believed to be the most active club sport at the moment, in part, due to COVID-19.
Given members have the opportunity to compete and play video games, this club is just like any other club sport. Members pay dues, which are currently going towards customizable player jerseys and there are leadership councils for each video game. Members stay connected through an online platform called Discord, where NSU ESports has its own server. On this platform, gamers can chat live with their teammates while they play. The new academic year has brought many new members and the club has grown to include over 70 students.
Popular video games played by the club include League of Legends, which is an award winning multiplayer PC game where players battle in an arena as ‘champions.’ In fact, it is one of the most popular esports worldwide. Other games played are Overwatch — which is a first person weapon based game — Smash Bros — a crossover fighting video game including characters from the Nintendo universe, usually played on a Switch console — and Rocket League, a soccer style video game where players play as vehicles. In order to play proficiently, this game requires coaching and practices for tournaments with other online gamers.
“The club is soon going to be able to share a classroom with other colleges that houses computers. In exchange for sharing a classroom, we will have access to high tech computers for our practices. It wouldn’t have been anything I expected to do in at least five years,” said Nelson Triana, ESports club president.
Games on the horizon for the club include Call of Duty, Rainbow Six Siege and Valor. If you enjoy video games and the community that comes with them, consider joining the ESports club.
The Discord server for NSU ESports can be accessed through QR code below.
