With new $60,000 gaming lab, what does the future of Esports look like for UNCW?

There's been a lot of change in the world of Esports in the past decade, and that's not unfamiliar to UNCW.

The Wilmington-based college opened its first Esports gaming Lab on Oct. 10, 2023, as Lenovo donated over $60,000 of computers to the school.

The 17 computers from the tech-based company now sit across the desks of a new room at UNCW, one, for the first time, solely dedicated to Esports.

"The video game industry is larger than music and movies combined," UNCW Professor and Program Coordinator of Esports Ray Pastore said. "This is not a small thing. This is not just something a few people do."

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What are Esports?

Esports are video games that are played in a competitive and organized manner. There is an incredible depth to what might be considered Esport video games, but some of the most popular include League of Legends, Valorant, and Rocket League.

While competitive video game tournaments have existed for about 50 years, Esports as we know them today didn't gain mainstream traction until the late 2000s.

Online streaming platforms like Twitch rose to fame in 2011, creating a market of dedicated Esports players and viewers who have created careers out of playing video games. Today, 100s of millions of viewers tune in each month to watch Esports gaming content.

How many Esport competitors are there?

According to Statista, the U.S. leads the world with the most Esports competitors with 3,200 active players.

The bigger market, however, is in viewership. Statista also estimates that over 500 million people tuned into an Esports broadcast in 2022.

What does Esports look like at UNCW?

For UNCW, 10 Esports teams currently exist. These teams, which also have lower-level teams for less experienced players, can range from 3-8 members.

Games like first-person shooter Valorant and online battle arena League of Legends are some of the most popular.

UNCW senior Ryan Boudreau is a member of the Rocket League team, a vehicular soccer video game released in 2015.

"I'm 23, so I've been right there for that shift (in the gaming world)," Boudreau said of the changing perception around Esports. "My parents said all the common phrases growing up, but it's cool to see the social change now."

Close to 100 million people play Rocket League each month.

What's next for UNCW Esports players?

While some players are just into Esports for fun, others are dedicated to improving at all costs.

UNCW junior Nick Craine, the captain of one of the school's teams, says he spends about 20 hours a week preparing for competitions and practicing.

"Growing up, gaming used to have a very negative connotation," he said. "Now, it's growing into something that can be a full-time career, depending on what route you go."

Some players also want to get into streaming. Around 140 million users turn to Twitch at least once a month, so there's plenty of opportunity for online explosion.

Pastore says that the next decade of advancement in the Esports world will see the industry mature. As for now, he says players are reaping the real rewards of success in the sport.

"We've had students that have paid for their whole college degree with their Esports winnings," Pastore said. "The fact that they can do that tells me there's a big future for students to actually have some side gigs while they're in college to help pay for things."

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: UNCW Esports makes big jump, gets 60K in Lenovo computers