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UB gamers compete against each other, other schools on new esports team ERIN TUCKER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Most students go to UB Stadium to watch football, but for those who prefer esports, the opportunity to see a SUNYwide esports tournament at the stadium may soon be a reality. UB’s new esports team allows students to compete against other universities in various video games, with the goal of someday hosting a “massive” tournament at the UB Stadium. The Student Association recognized the team –– which previously met as Overwatch Club –– on Sept. 23 and roughly 50 students have joined since the transition. The club has expanded to playing several video games since the switch, including League of Legends, Heroes of the Storm and games through Tespa, a North American collegiate esports organization. Unlike many UB clubs, students don’t have to attend club meetings to become members, as they can compete remotely from any location. Jake Nowak, a senior theatre design major and president of esports, said anyone can play, regardless of skill level or physical barriers. “Traditional sports are great for people to go support and watch, but not everyone is able to play,” Nowak said. “Esports are open to everyone. It doesn’t matter if you have a hip or a knee problem, you can compete here.” Community teams often come together for tournaments, which any student can enter regardless of skill level. But the club isn’t just for gamers. William Nicholson, a sophomore computer science major and co-founder and
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treasurer of esports, said students can volunteer to commentate on the games and can tune in to Twitch.tv, a streaming platform, to watch and support the students competing. He said he hopes to publicize competitions and hold them in easily accessible lo-
skills. And you have to critique yourself in order to get better and get up there and realize what you did wrong. The community aspect is really what is special about it.” Esports currently has players for three games, and Nicholson “hopes to cover six or seven” by the end of next semester.
Alexis Heng | The Spectrum Students play Super Smash Bros. UB’s new esports team allows students to universities in various video games.
cations so everyone can support the team. Nicholson said the team is a “tight-knit gaming community” where students come to compete, but learn valuable life skills in return. “Community is the foundation that [esports] is built upon, it is not all competitive,” Nicholson said. “I see people grow as leaders, making shots, setting up routines, [learn] better time management
compete against other
Matthew Welch, a sophomore communication major and esports’ social media coordinator, said gaming competitions have been “rapidly growing” over the last decade and believes the club serves student interests. “For as large of a school as we have, we believe that we can get a wide range of skilled gamers from many genres of games and be successful at a high level of
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gameplay,” Welch said. Esports typically holds competitions on Sunday evenings, and hopes to create a calendar of upcoming games so students can plan, form teams and compete. Nowak’s goal for esports before the end of this year is to have full rosters under every major
game in esports. “This will start getting UB recognition among other schools, as UB is one of the last SUNY schools to finally branch into esports,” Nowak said. “One day I would love to see the SUNY-wide esports tournament. I believe this can be accomplished if we work as hard as we have for the past year on the validity of this club.” Email: news@ubspectrum.com
From ghosts to 1980s China: The best upcoming video games Games to look forward to in the coming months for Switch, Xbox One, PS4, Windows ANASTASIA WILDS ASST. ARTS EDITOR
Video games can be a welcome distraction from university life, whether you game alone or with friends. Some people turn to the classics: Mario Kart, Dark Souls, Halo. But for those who are bored of their usual gaming go-tos, some interesting titles are hitting shelves soon. We’ve compiled a list of the most anticipated upcoming games to help deal with stressors for both avid and casual players.
over the role of Gooigi, a green slime copy of Luigi. The multiplayer mode, ScareScraper, even allows up to eight players.
Death Stranding Nov. 8, Playstation 4
After Hideo Kojima’s iconic return during E3 2016, people have been eagerly waiting to play Kojima’s first game since he left Konami. Luckily, the wait is almost over. On Nov. 8, “Death Stranding” will release for the Playstation 4. The game features some well-known actors such as Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen, and
the concept of life and death, and also focuses on the idea that humans need to be connected to survive.
Pokémon Sword and Shield Nov. 15, Switch
It’s time to once again become the strongest Pokémon trainer in the latest games in the Pokemon franchise, “Pokémon Sword and Shield.” In the games, the player embarks on a journey to catch Pokémon and become the strongest in the Galar region, which is an area inspired by Great Britain. The Galar region brings the player to
Shenmue III
Nov. 19, PS4, Windows
Oct. 31, Nintendo Switch If you want to encounter some real ghosts in Halloween, pick up “Luigi’s Mansion 3” for the Nintendo Switch. In the latest installment of the Luigi’s Mansion series, Luigi and his friends are invited to a luxury hotel. But the vacation turns out to be a ploy by King Boo to capture the protagonists. To save Mario, Princess Peach and others, Luigi must explore the enormous hotel and fight ghosts using the new Poltergust G-00. By changing the setting from a mansion to a hotel, the game attempts to give players the opportunity to explore rather than be locked into a linear path. The game also introduces new gameplay mechanics added in by the Poltergust G-00. And if you don’t want to tackle the haunted hotel alone, a second player can join and take
want to buy a game on Nov. 15, then “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” might be right up your alley. The single-player action-adventure game follows Order 66, as people in the Jedi Order are being hunted and killed across the galaxy. While Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis is in hiding, he uses the force to save a friend. But an Imperial Probe Droid caught footage of the act and the Second Sister inquisitor hunts him down. During the game, players will get to meet known “Star Wars” characters and worlds as well as new ones.
Courtesy of Nintendo Poster for Luigi’s Mansion 3.
the famous director Guillermo del Toro. During the game, the player controls Sam Bridges as he attempts to reconnect mankind after supernatural events threaten to destroy the world. Similar to Kojima’s older work, “Metal Gear,” Kojima says that “Death Stranding” will create a whole new genre of gaming. The game seems to be an open-world action game that places an emphasis on
an open world filled with sprawling countrysides, steampunk cities and plenty of new Pokémon. There are also some new gameplay features such as the ability for Pokemon to become incredibly large using Dynamax and Gigantamax.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Nov. 15, PS4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows If Pokémon isn’t your thing but you still
The long-awaited sequel to the first two Shenmue games has arrived. This iconic Dreamcast series continues with Shenmue III on Nov. 19. The games take place in 1980s China and follows teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki as he tries to find his father’s killer. In 1999 and 2001, the first two Shenmue games were released for the Sega Dreamcast and the series is considered to be one of the pioneers of open-world RPGs. Even though the director, Yu Suzuki, planned to have more games in the series and the games gained a cult following, the large budget led to the games not making enough profit and the series stalled for years. After a Kickstarter campaign launched by Suzuki in 2015, Suzuki’s company, Ys Net, raised enough money to make “Shenmue III.” Suzuki also received Guinness World Record for the fastest $1 million and $2 million pledges for a crowdfunded video game. Email: anastasia.wilds@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @AnastasiaWilds