AACC’s esports team added two new games this semester, and plans to begin streaming its competitions live.
The team added popular esports games Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Valorant this semester.
“We’ve already evolved the program, in a sense, because we brought on two more games,” esports coach Conway Johnson said. “This is the first time we brought on additional titles, which has been a process of figuring out what’s in demand, and then figuring out how … we get all the machines [and put in] the paperwork.”
The esports team already competes in League of Legends, Overwatch and Rocket League. The League of Legends team had one win and six losses last year; the Rocket League team competed intramurally; and the Overwatch team did not compete.
Conway plans “to get the games broadcasted this semester as well” because it allows people to watch, but “that means that I’m having to, like, kind of coach the match that’s happening while I’m also trying to run the broadcast equipment.”
Zac Pinales, a digital media production student who plays for the League of Legends team, said the squad has “grown a lot” since the team became part of AACC Athletics in 2021.
Pinales encouraged potential players to reach out because “even though it is competitive, we are still playing a game, so it’s supposed to be fun and the only thing we do is just get better as we’re playing.”
Evan Karcher, a transfer studies student who plays on the Smash Bros. team, said Johnson “reviews” players and highlights aspects of their gameplay to improve.
“Our coach will … give me advice on things that I need to improve on,” Karcher said.