Best Gamers in Overwatch, Rocket League & Valorant
APRIL 23 — The Maverick Esports squad at Minnesota State Mankato captured national championship gaming titles in Overwatch, Rocket League and Valorant competition at the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) Starleague.
Rocket League placed number one out of 119 teams, Overwatch number one out of 90, and Valorant number one out of 85.
This spring, Maverick Esports competed in seven game titles including Call of Duty, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, iRacing, Valorant, Overwatch, Rocket League, and League of Legends. All teams performed exceptionally well this season, with six out of the seven titles advancing to post-season.
Three of those went on to secure back-to-back championship wins in less than a week, with Overwatch defeating Drexel University, Rocket League defeating Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, and Valorant defeating Texas A&M-San Antonio. These victories add to a history of playoff appearances and other wins throughout the years, including a 2021 Madden championship win and 2021 and 2022 Call of Duty championship wins.
Other notable achievements this season include Rocket League going undefeated in regular and post season, League of Legends going undefeated in regular season and placing top four out of 64 teams in the Collegiate League of Legends Open Division, and Call of Duty placing top 32 out of 120 teams in the College Call of Duty League.
This season’s success follows the recent addition of new Head Coach and Assistant Director, Levi “Loopy” Arnett, in January; former coach for professional esports teams OpTic Gaming and Vexed Gaming.
The 2023-24 Esports Awards Ceremony was set for April 26 from 5-7 pm in the University’s new gaming and esports lounge located at Wissink Hall 121.
Founded in 2020, Maverick Esports, a program of Minnesota State University, Mankato, is dedicated to fostering a competitive and inclusive esports community, providing students opportunities to engage in the world of competitive and casual gaming.
