Starting this year, e-sports players will have more games to play.
Coach Andrew Heller says the idea of adding more games was simple as it meant expanding the program into more competitive opportunities.
“Out of interest I talked to various different leagues to see what they offered and then gaged the talk of the students to see what they were interested in,” Heller said. “I approached it the same way I teach in my business classes. In order to grow a business, you have to know the needs of the consumers. To get ready for the new games I conducted a lot of research watched many YouTube videos spoke with professionals in the specific games to make sure I had an understanding of the game’s objectives”
Eighteen new games were added to the competition. The games include Valorant, Chess, BRAWLHALA, Rainbow 6, Marvel Snap, Street Fighter VI, Tetris, Apex, Fortnite, Mortal Kombat I, FIFA, Omega Strikers, Dota 2, Civilization VI, Starcraft II, Age of Empires, FI 2023, CS: GO, Gran Turismo 7 and Pokeman Unite.
“So far I think new games are amazing and definitely a lot of fun, While allowing my potential players to experience new waves of teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they work together to strategize victory,” Heller said.
The newly added games enticed sophomore Drew Gray to join the team. As a gamer, he was looking for something to do to increase your playtime.
“I chose Fortnite because my friends and I play it every day of the week when we get home from school,” Gray said. “To get ready for competition, I have to get better at building so I have a better chance of winning.”
The competition season starts next week. To prepare, players are practicing two days a week. Practice consists of talking out different strategies and round-robin meetings so experienced players can help others build their skills.
“When it comes to playing and strategizing we are always thinking about the game and any way we can improve our gameplay, states, teamwork and strategy,” Heller said. “All games come with some type of pressure because we are competing against hundreds of players around the state and nation So there’s always of a chance facing a tough opponent who has a counter for our strategy and you have to think on the spot and get creative in order to pull out a win.”
The team competes through online platforms that are recorded into a database and then ranked and scored throughout the season. The rankings then determine who goes to the playoffs and eventually championships.
“There’s various different rules and regulations/ guidelines of the games we have to follow the league for each game. The rules we have cover every practice before game day to make sure we are staying in compliance and honing our skills properly,” Heller said.
