GREENSBURG, Pa (PTTP) – Video game competitions, or esports, have become increasingly popular on college campuses, with many schools forming competitive teams. Pitt-Greensburg started its own esports team back in 2019 after a group of students playing Overwatch together decided they wanted to compete. Dan O’Connor, a systems analyst for the University, was brought on to be the coach and the team started out with just 10 students.
Now in 2023, O’Connor says the team has grown to 28 students who compete in a variety of games such as Fortnite, Valorant, and even a card game called Hearthstone. The league they compete in is called NACE and involves colleges across the country. Currently, the UPG Esports Fortnite team is ranked 17th in the country and will be competing at the championships this weekend. Other UPG Esports teams didn’t place this semester, but O’Connor said he’s hopeful the team will improve next year.
Since the team has expanded, they looked to upgrade their setups this semester by moving to a bigger room and upgrading some of their equipment. UPG Esports is also planning some summer camps for middle school and high school children to teach them all about the opportunities with esports.
For information, check their website: https://www.greensburg.pitt.edu/student-life/activities/esports and keep up to date with their Twitter: https://twitter.com/pittgbgesports