ETSU is throwing its hat into the collegiate Esports arena with its new gaming center, coming soon to the D.P. Culp Student Center’s Cave.
The gaming center is set to feature several public-use Dell G5 gaming computers capable of running most current-generation games, as well as house a private training facility for the Esports team, including a 32-foot video wall for broadcasting game play during regularly-scheduled tournaments. In addition, several nearby areas will be available for students to plug in consoles of their choosing.
“We’ll be focused on League of Legends and Overwatch for the 2020-21 school year,” Jeff Shell, the current coach for the ETSU Esports team, said. “From there, we’ll re-evaluate if we can bring other games into the fold.”
Both games have found a home in competitive Esports due to their emphasis on strategy and teamwork. Other games may be considered in the future, including Super Smash Bros. and Rocket League. Some games, however, may not be as welcomed.
“We are trying to stay away from life-like violence for our Esports team,” Bradley Engle, the current coordinator for the program, said.
This means other popular choices, such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive, in which teams play objective-based game modes, including planting bombs and rescuing hostages using real-world equipment, are out. How far these restrictions go for the public computers, however, is still to be determined.
All this is just part of a larger push to unite the various gaming-centric organizations on campus and create a hub for gamers to meet, play and compete. In addition, the G5 computers will also give gamers with limited specs on their own PCs the ability to play more demanding games and allow tryouts for the Esports teams without the need to invest in notoriously expensive hardware.
Tryouts for the ETSU Varsity Esports team are underway this semester, with an official debut expected in the fall 2020 semester. Tryouts will continue throughout this semester. Those interested can go to www.etsu.edu/esports for more information. Spots on the team are limited, and those who get in will be treated like any other athlete.
“I was always taught playing football growing up: Don’t be an example; be the standard everybody looks up to,” said Samuel Zorn, who is one of the many students working toward making this project a reality.
Complementing this entry into a relatively new field of sports, an online course for a graduate certificate in Esports will also become available next semester, pending approval.
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