Hey there! I’m Brian Uceta. I’m currently a sophomore, and I am a part of the university’s Overwatch team. For those who don’t know, Overwatch is a 6 vs 6 team-based shooter game which has a diverse cast of powerful characters, or “heroes.” All of these characters have abilities which differentiates their styles of play completely, and depending on the character you play as, you will be placed into one of three roles. For instance, tanks soak up the damage and help their teams push past certain positions, like a group of enemies or choke points. They are the bigger characters, have more health, and lead the charge. Damage dealers, on the other hand, seek out and engage the enemy with a variety of weapons and abilities. They tend to do the most damage and have the most mobility, but also usually require backup to survive. Support heroes assist their teammates with healing, boosting damage, or disrupting the enemy team. They are essential for the team’s survival. In matches, each team has two players of each role. I personally play as one of the tanks for the team. Both sides fight across several objective based maps, such as facing off in a “king of the hill” style competition, or a team works to capture a point while the opposing side defends it.

I feel that there are a lot of misconceptions about esports because it has only become a larger industry in recent years, but it is amazing. It is competitive, exciting, strategic, and I can’t begin to express how proud I am of the progress we have made thus far. Everyone involved, whether it would be the casters, the players, or the staff, have all played a great role in making this possible, and I’m honored to be a part of the first official team. We hope to make even greater strides moving forward, and I’m glad the Laurentian community is with us for the ride – we’re in this together.

We practice and participate in our matches in our own lab at Bewkes. Players are all required to wear masks, use their own equipment, and we all play several feet away from each other for safety. One of the benefits from esports is that, despite the virus, we can still practice with one another and face teams from around the country online – anyone can compete and no one is at risk of exposure. We live in a time where technology has become increasingly important, and we are divided in many ways. Whether it would be casually or competitively, gaming has become a haven for many to stay connected with friends and family alike.