What Games Do College Esports Teams Play?

Are you wondering what games college esports teams play? While there are many popular games played at the collegiate level, some of the most common include League of Legends, Overwatch, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Keep reading to learn more about college esports and the games played by teams.

Introduction

Esports refers to the world of competitive, organized video gaming. Competitions are usually played between professional teams, although some college and amateur leagues exist. These tournaments can be organized for a single game, or multiple games from different genres (FPS, MOBA, fighting games, etc.).

While there are many different games that fall under the umbrella of esports, there are a few that are particularly popular among college teams. Some of the most commonly played games in collegiate esports include League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, and Hearthstone.

This is by no means an exhaustive list – there are dozens of other games that could be considered “collegiate level” esports. However, these four represent some of the most competitive and hotly contested titles in the scene today.

The Games

Generally, the games played in collegiate esports fall into one of three categories: first-person shooters (FPS), multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBA), and fighting games. Other genres, such as real-time strategy (RTS) and card games, are also represented to a lesser extent. The most popular games played in college esports are listed below.

League of Legends

League of Legends is a five-player online battle arena video game based on the Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne mod Defense of the Ancients. Designed by developer Riot Games, LoL was unofficially released in October 2009. The game is a free-to-play title supported by microtransactions. LoL is one of the most popular Internet games. According to Riot Games, it is played by 650 million people.

In League of Legends, players assume the role of an unseen “summoner” that controls a “champion” with unique abilities and battle against a team of other players or computer-controlled champions. The goal is usually to destroy the opposing team’s “nexus”, a structure which lies at the heart of a base protected by defensive structures. Each League of Legends match is discrete, with all champions starting off fairly weak but increase in strength by accumulating items and experience over the course of the game.

Overwatch

Overwatch is a team-based shooter from Blizzard Entertainment. Two teams of six players compete to capture and defend control points on a map or escort a payload across the map in a limited amount of time.Players select from one of more than 20 heroes, each with unique abilities and roles on the team. The game is currently in its second competitive season.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Hidden Path Entertainment and Valve Corporation. It is the fourth game in the Counter-Strike series and was released for Windows, OS X, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 in August 2012, while the Linux version was released in 2014. The game pits two teams against each other: the Terrorists and the Counter-Terrorists. Both sides are tasked with eliminating the other while also completing separate objectives. The Terrorists, depending on the game mode, must either plant refresh rates or defend them; while the Counter-Terrorists must either prevent loss or defuse them. There are nine game modes, all of which have distinct characteristics specific to that mode.

The game also has matchmaking support that allows players to play on dedicated Valve servers, as well as allowing members of the community to host their own servers with custom maps and game modes. A battle-royale game-mode, “Danger Zone”, was introduced in 2018. CS:GO received positive reviews from critics on release, who praised it for its gameplay and faithfulness to predecessors in the franchise. Since its release, it has drawn in an estimated 11 million players per month playing more than 500 million hours a day

Hearthstone

Hearthstone, also known as Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, is a free-to-play online collectible card video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. Based in the Warcraft universe, Hearthstone is a turn-based card game between two opponents, using constructed decks of thirty cards along with a selected hero with a unique power. Players use mana crystals to cast spells or summon minions to attack their opponent. Winning matches can earn in-game gold, rewards in the form of new cards, and other in-game prizes. Players can then buy packs of new cards through microtransactions to customize and improve their decks. The game features an “Adventure Mode”, where single-player missions are completed to earn rewards; and “Arena Mode”, where players compete against each other in more challenging formats for prizes.

Rocket League

Rocket League is a vehicular soccer video game developed and published by Psyonix. The game was first released for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4 in July 2015, with ports for Xbox One, macOS, Linux, and Nintendo Switch later being released. Rocket League is a sequel to Psyonix’s Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars, released in 2008 for the PlayStation 3.

Rocket League is a physics-based vehicle soccer video game with simple controls and chaotic gameplay. The objective of the game is to score goals by using your car to hit a large soccer ball into your opponent’s goal. The game features multiple modes, including an offline season mode where you can compete against AI opponents, and an online multiplayer mode where you can compete against other players from all over the world. Rocket League also features extensive customization options for your vehicle, including different paint jobs, decals, wheels, and more.

The Teams

Since its inception in 2014, the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) has seen a sharp increase in the number of college esports teams. In the 2018-2019 season, there were over 200 registered teams in the NACE. This number is expected to rise in the 2019-2020 season. But which games do these teams play?

UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley is a public research university in Berkeley, California. Founded in 1868 as the flagship campus of the University of California system, Berkeley is the oldest of the ten research universities in the system and ranks as one of the “Public Ivies”.

UC Berkeley’s esports teams compete in a variety of games, including League of Legends, Overwatch, Dota 2, Hearthstone, and Super Smash Bros.

University of Utah

The University of Utah is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and competes in the Mountain West Conference (MWC). The school offers scholarships to students on its seven varsity teams, which include “League of Legends,” “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive,” “Overwatch,” “Hearthstone,” and more.

Maryville University

The Maryville University eSports team competes in “League of Legends,” “Overwatch,” “Hearthstone,” and “Rocket League.” The team is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and competes in the Midwest Conference.

Conclusion

So there you have it, a comprehensive guide to the types of games that college esports teams play. As you can see, there is a lot of variety out there, and there is sure to be a game that catches your eye. Whatever your preference, there is an esports team out there for you. So get out there and start playing!