Carleton came out on top of its debut esports matchup on Oct. 5.
Tespa Carleton defeated London, Ont.-based Fanshawe College in the title Rocket League. The win is the first-ever W for a Carleton matchup in the university’s newly-founded Ontario Post-Secondary Esports (OPSE) league, which Carleton described as first-of-its-kind.
The school’s teams are a part of Tespa, an organization owned by Blizzard Entertainment, a massive gaming company based in Irvine, Calif.
Esports have risen in popularity at Carleton for some time, as displayed by the growth of the Discord server, which now hosts over 2,000 members.
Dante Provenzano, co-president of the Tespa Discord server, said people gravitate towards gaming for the community feel and enjoyment it brings them.
“People want the atmosphere. They like being with other people. Video games are fun, and people like to play games that they find enjoyable. Just being there is enough for most people,” he said.
The founding of the new league is creating more opportunity for students to play the games they love at a high level.
OPSE will also help to encourage students looking to play at the professional level develop their skills.
As of now, the league will feature four games: Overwatch, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Hearthstone. All these games are also played at a professional level where teams compete in tournaments for millions of dollars in prizes each year.
The league said it is seeking to create a community that is sustainable and will grow at Carleton by creating an environment similar to more traditional sports at the school.
Martin So, operations lead at OPSE, said the idea is to “mimic the OUA system with esports. We wanted to create a permanent esports environment to make it a global industry.”
The league is also emphasizing inclusivity. League officials said they want the league to be “inclusive to all genders and those with disabilities. Anyone can join in.”
The newly founded league may also be one of the few sports at the school that has benefited from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Covid has definitely helped get people exposed more to what we do. Schools need new ways to engage with their student bodies and this is the perfect opportunity,” So said.
Notable schools that will be participating in the OPSE for its inaugural season in addition to Carleton include Queen’s University, Western University, Concordia University, Ryerson University, University of Ottawa, York University and the University of Toronto.
In order to join the OPSE’s league, schools must pay a $1,000 entry fee for every title in which they would like to compete. Additionally, they must have an esports club on campus and are also required to broadcast at least four days a week for each game.
Featured image screengrabbed from OPSE’s website.
