Back for another year of partnership, Xfinity teamed up with the University of California Esports Initiative for an esports gaming event. As a longtime supporter of the gaming community, Xfinity is thrilled to support collegiate esports teams from nine University of California schools in a weekend-long tournament.
Esports teams from UC Irvine, UC Berkeley, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, and UC Merced participated in this year’s tournament, which featured the popular games League of Legends, Valorant, and Overwatch 2.
Teams, staff, and students gathered at Red Bull North America on January 12-14th for the gaming-focused event. Over 3,700 total people tuned in virtually on Twitch or joined in-person to enjoy the tournament. Food was provided for all in attendance, and many sat for hours, watching and cheering on their favorite teams. Attendees were also able to play games for prizes and enter raffles sponsored by Xfinity for iPads, AirPods, and gift cards for League of Legends, Valorant, and Amazon.
As the gaming industry grows, the gaming community made up of individuals from all walks of life grows, too. Campbell, Cal Esports Program Manager, shared, “Esports is an accessible medium, much more than a lot of physical sports. We should try our best to ensure we are as accessible and open to everybody as possible. The gaming community itself can be a safe space for those who might not have safe spaces like that in other communities.”
“Xfinity makes it possible for us to put on big events like this where we can grow the community,” said Campbell. “It encourages higher levels of competition, which will eventually lead to a better path to pro for collegiate players.”
One of the key highlights from the esports weekend was the dominance of UC Irvine. They swept all three titles for League of Legends, Overwatch 2, and Valorant and took home exclusive jerseys and trophies.
From the latest gameplay features to new characters, there is always something to look forward to within gaming. Ryan, Cal League of Legends player, shared his excitement about the latest season of League of Legends. “We have a new map, new items, and a couple new champions. I’m excited for the new map. As a jungler myself, it changes what you do in game and impacts fundamentals of what you focus on during the game, which is where you can get an edge on other players.”
As esports continues to become a fast-growing industry, Xfinity is proud to support collegiate-level esports and students passionate about expanding their interests and skillset and pursuing opportunities in technology.
