Beginning in Fall 2019, Hocking College will launch its eSports team. The sport will involve competitive, team-based video gaming, as well as tournaments and intercollegiate play which will be done through the National Association of Collegiate eSports (NACE) and TESPA.
Esports, also known as electronic sports, is a competitive sport that utilizes multiplayer video games. Participants can play on an individual basis or within a team.
How popular is eSports you ask? According to market intelligence provider Newzoo, eSports brought in a revenue of $696 million in 2017 which is up 41.3% from the previous year.
Hocking College's eSports team will be playing Overwatch.
Overwatch, which was developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, is set 60 years in the future of a fictionalized Earth. It's a team-based multiplayer, first-person shooter game which involves two teams of six (6). Each player selects from a roster of 31 different characters, each of which have a unique play style and are divided into one of three general categories that fit their role.Players on the team work together to defend and secure control points on a map, or escort a payload across the map in a specified amount of time.
Anyone interested in joining the eSports team can contact Coach Gavin Edmondson at edmondsong@hocking.edu.