Esports 101: Choose your Trojans fighter

When the pandemic made socializing on campus impossible, SAIT Athletics and Recreation wanted to create a space where students could get together virtually. Launching an eGaming league gave them that.

Today, the Trojans Esports program provides in-person space on-campus to foster both competitive and casual gaming communities.

“The students who make up our Esports program are proud to wear the Trojans brand and showcase our institution. Teams work together, train together and have fun together as they aspire to compete and win. Through the gaming studio, we’ve created a welcoming environment with the goal of adding value to a student’s social life on campus,” says Wade Kolmel, Director, Athletics and Recreation, SAIT.

Looking to compete?

The competitive community represents the Trojans with dedicated teams participating at external competitions, in-person or remotely, in various leagues. Just like any other Trojans program, players are committed to 90 minutes of practice time, per game per week.

You can assemble a squad, pick a Pokémon persona or open with the Queen’s Gambit in the following team games:

• Rocket League — A fast-paced, physics-based game of soccer with rocket-powered cars.
• League of Legends — A fantasy-themed, multi-player, real-time strategy game where players compete in an online battle arena.
• Dota 2 — Similar to League of Legends, Dota 2 is a medieval multi-player, real-time strategy game where players compete in an online battle arena.
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate — A crossover combat game where players battle opponents and attempt to knock them out of an arena.
• Chess — This centuries old board game has seen a resurgence in online gaming.

The casual community setting provides a safe space for students to unwind and catch up with friends at the Esports studio — equipped with Alienware Computers, Nintendo Switch and an Xbox One — through activities, events and drop-in times. First-person shooter games are not permitted at the studio.

The studio typically sees around 100 gamers through its doors per week. If you drop by, you may run into program lead Andrew Tran, Minor Official – Esports, who joined SAIT when the league was launched. In February, Tran and the Trojans team travelled to the Alberta Esports Expo, where nearly 500 competitors and over 3,000 attendees came together under one roof.

Players entered the virtual arena on day one to battle it out in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate doubles and singles competition. Trojans entered three doubles teams and six single players, with one singles player — who had never competed live before — placing 49th out of 170 competitors. Players also competed in the League of Legends tournament on day two of the expo.

“It was a welcome opportunity for the team to experience competing in person and engage in the comradery that comes from connecting with your community,” says Tran. “I was able to exchange ideas with other post-secondary institutions and hear about their Esports programs. We’re all helping each other out as we build programs and develop studios. It was a great learning experience!”