A New Update for eSports

Despite missing the State tournament by 1 point, the Waukee Smash Ultimate eSports team was invited to attend the event in Marshalltown on Friday, November 17th. Because of their efforts, they were excused from classes that day and were able to watch the State Finals in person. Junior Brayden Walters described it as a memorable experience, saying, “It was great to be able to see all the action on a big screen with everyone around you cheering on their team.”

Now that the fall season has ended, the winter season, featuring the titles Rocket League and Overwatch 2, is slowly ramping up. Coach Palmer said the club will be undergoing big changes now that it focuses on 2 separate games simultaneously. “We are going to have to try to practice one team while playing another team because we’re jamming two sports into one season,” he said. As a result, players for both games can expect to be both practicing and competing in the same room as the other throughout the winter season.

With a new focus on more team-based games instead of the 1v1 format in Smash Ultimate, team cooperation will be a crucial part of practices going forward. Coach Palmer advises team members to show up to meets collectively to ensure they get as much practice as they can. Terrence Brackens, a junior on the Overwatch team, has been excited for the winter season to start ever since he joined the club at the beginning of the year. “I honestly joined for the competitive nature… the only sport I’m in is Track, so in eSports, I get to do something else plus I get to compete,” said Brackens.

As the club gets more members, many non-gaming positions are also offered that still contribute to the team. “If you like anything to do with eSports, we can try to find a place for you as long as you’re open to the idea of trying new things,” Palmer said. Anyone interested in shoutcasting over live games as they’re being played, wanting to help organize data over past games, or anything else can sign up using the link for Rocket League (bit.ly/23waukeerocketleague) or Overwatch (bit.ly/23waukeeoverwatch2). Practices for both games will be for an hour after school ends on Tuesdays and Thursdays while competitions will be held every Tuesday at 4 pm for Overwatch and every Thursday at 4 pm for Rocket League.