St. David’s College will debut in competitive E-sports gaming tournaments on October 11th with students readying up for the British E-sports Student Championship and the Welsh Esports League.
This marks a significant milestone for the College, offering invaluable experiences and opportunities for students to proudly represent their College Esports team for the first time. Learners will be engaging in intense competition with schools and colleges from across the UK, showcasing their gaming prowess in competitive online gaming leagues.
Our IT department has made extensive efforts to establish a dedicated gaming room for the college this year. Each system has been equipped with state-of-the-art and updated hardware, guaranteeing that students can engage in e-sports tournaments with the best performance. These changes ensure consistent frame rates across all games, crucial for keeping pace with the intense speed and competitive nature of these games.
Individual students have been assigned different roles to commit to within their teams, to ensure they look after and support their groups; these roles can include Coaches, managers, promoters, event organisers and media marketers. Students will often be tasked with creating their own events and it’s these efforts that will present our learners with invaluable opportunities to build upon their skills in esports in readiness for life after college and create sizable experiences they can use within their UCAS applications.
A total of 130 students have expressed keen interest in getting themselves involved with the College E-sports community. Under the guidance of Mr. Hazel, these students will be preparing for the main tournaments through structured competitive learning sessions held every Wednesday from 4 pm to 6 pm, after regular college hours. The main tournament features competitions in highly popular and competitive gaming titles, such as League of Legends, Rocket League, Valorant, and Overwatch 2.
League of Legends features a dynamic 5-player multiplayer online battle arena, wherein our learners from team Crystal Crusaders must engage in a fierce strategic competition against an opposing college. The success of a team hinges on their management of resources, infantry and skills; executing a careful and methodical advancement within three lanes to gradually gain the upper hand and seize pivotal moments to strike at their opponents’ resources.
Rocket League presents a high-octane and challenging 3-player multiplayer online football match, with the unique twist of controlling rocket-powered cars – the challenge is as formidable as it sounds. Our learners from team Dynamic Drifters must work together and communicate effectively with their rocket-powered vehicles, juggling the metal football with their car chassis towards the opponent’s goal.
Valorant immerses players in a team-based first-person tactical shooter set in the near future, where 5 players on each side engage in fast and intensive rounds. Before each round starts, players are assigned to either the defending or attacking team. In this high-action environment, our learners from team Shadow Siren’s (female only) or Recon Raiders (male only) must work together swiftly to accomplish objectives, aiming to gain an edge over their opposition by putting them at a strategic disadvantage.
Overwatch 2 share similarities with Valorant in that, players partake in fast-paced 5-a-side rounds of attacking and defending team gameplay. Our learners from team Vortex Vanguard will need to collaborate effectively to beat their opponents by points. Scores will be tallied at the conclusion of each round, with the hopes of securing victory through strategic play and effective teamwork.
Beyond the main championships, students can engage in broader cup tournaments. These include the Women in E-sports tournament, designed exclusively for female-run teams such as the Shadow Siren’s in Valorant and Overwatch 2.
The Williams Esports competition places our learners into high-speed racing in F1 2023, pitting them against students from across the UK. Additionally, students can participate in Street Fighter 5, a side-on 1v1 fighting game, and Apex Legends, a 20-player battle royale, both accessible at any time.
Mr. Hazel has extended his lunchtimes for gaming clubs in his classrooms outside of tournament schedules. These clubs welcome all students every lunchtime on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Although, the Friday lunchtime session is exclusively a female-only gaming day, providing a supportive environment for students to actively participate in gaming activities.
The creation of our e-sports team signifies an exploratory chapter for our College, unlocking many opportunities and career paths for our students. Equipping them with invaluable experience in coaching, management, promotion, event organization, and marketing, all tailored to their respective e-sports teams. These skills will not only serve as their fundamental roles within the team but also as a versatile set of knowledge applicable to their post-college journeys, potentially as future e-sports competitors. We look forward to seeing the progress of our e-sports team and the development of our students throughout the year. We are excited to see the potential strides they may make in the near future.
