UAAP Season 87 introduced their very first Esports installment in the season, and it was a major success
I had a chance to go to Ateneo de Manila University, right where the UAAP Esports was held, embracing a new era of collegiate esports.
Before the start of UAAP Season 87, they have started the prologue by including Esports in their yearly events, holding a significant impact on the history of UAAP and collegiate esports in general.
The event went from August 13 until 21, 2024 with featured games included NBA 2K, Valorant, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. This event gave a chance to UAAP member schools to pull in their competitive rosters in this inaugural event.
The UAAP member schools include De La Salle University, Far Eastern University, University of the Philippines, University of the East, National University, Adamson University, Ateneo de Manila University, and University of Santo Tomas.
A new era of Collegiate Esports
With major leagues opting for incorporating Esports with traditional sports, this event is another one in the history books. It is good to see that the UAAP has finally acknowledged this scene and how it’s growing. We also recently saw some communities and barangays incorporating Esports as part of their yearly league, aside traditional sports.
It is also worth noting that this event was in partnership with Dark League Studios, the company whose goals are at the forefront of campus esports. The company had a major contribution in the entire event as an organizer.
UAAP Esports became one of my best experiences in the Esports industry.
In this growing space, I have organized community engagements and collegiate tournaments inside my university. However, this experience was in a new level for me, as I met different talents, executives, and like-minded persons that helped us grow in the Esports and academic space.
As an Estudyante Esports ambassador, this puts me up a new level of perspective on how collegiate esports became an important role in this new generation of student gamers.
With that in mind, I am looking forward for the next season of UAAP Esports with more games included, and hopefully more schools, communities, and organizations will start embracing this kind of industry. Congratulations to all UAAP member schools for this memorable event!
