Join the club: Beesports becomes the new kid in town

Written and Photographed by Henry Fischer

Beesports is one of the most exciting new clubs at SCAD, and the buzz around them is only getting louder.

Beesports is SCAD’s club for both competitive and casual gaming. They focus on the major Esports: “League of Legends” and “Overwatch,” but “CS:GO,” “Rainbow 6: Siege” and “Super Smash Brothers: Ultimate” are also popular within the club. Collegiate level Esports have been popular since 2016, so last year, SCAD officially threw their hat into the ring.

The SCAD Student Center’s second level is dominated by an Esports arena. 36 fully kitted computers are ready for players to use, 12 of which are front and center for high-level competition. Some of SCAD’s best players are in the top 0.11% of the world, reaching the illustrious rank of “Master.” However, individual players don’t make a team. Together, the SCAD team is quickly gaining speed, and “League of Legends” varsity support player Jae Cho has high hopes. “I think in a year or so, we will be a highly competitive team,” Cho said. “We will even reach towards being a high-tier team.”

Right now, varsity players feel like they have something to prove. “We have to produce results for [SCAD],” Cho said. Fueling this need to succeed, the team’s main focus is on developing new talent and growing to make a name for themselves. 

Despite the rankings, Beesports isn’t just for the best of the best. The club is open to anyone who likes to play video games, and often host events open to anyone who loves Esports. The Esports Arena is open to anyone Monday through Thursday 12-8 pm. Club members can frequently be found there practicing and hanging out. They even have watch parties for some of the largest Esports competitions in the world, where club members cheer on their favorite teams and learn from the real masters.

When asked why Esports are so appealing, “Overwatch” main caster (a caster is similar to a conventional sports commentator) Christian Kobayashi attributes it to the love of the sport. “It’s the dedication of the players, the passion they show,” Kobayashi said.

Esports can trace its history all the way back to 1972, but competition, as it’s known today, started in 2006. “League of Legends” has been the most popular game for competition for some time now.  The world-level competition started in 2011 and has only grown since then. In 2016 the world finals sold-out Madison Square Garden, and in 2018, over 99 million individual viewers tuned in for the world finals. “Overwatch” is the relatively new up-and-comer. Their recent 2019 world finals clocked in at 10.8 million viewers, according to the game’s developer. There’s no doubt as to whether or not Esports is a flash in the pan; it’s not. Players today can receive college scholarships from top schools and make full-time careers from playing video games. 

“[Players] can aspire to be pro players they idolize just by playing the game,” Kobayashi said. “The biggest thing is the passion, there’s a lot of passion, a lot of love and it shows.”