Something which I expect to see going into future seasons of OWL is scouting talent primarily from Contenders and tournaments like it from all over the world, but also from TCS. Currently it is hard to say whether collegiate teams have much if any value or skill at all, comparatively to teams in Open Division or Contenders. However, individual talent has popped up; while not directly from TCS, players like Justin “Kayuun” Ha from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and Daniel “Alined” Lee from University of California, Berkeley have played for their university teams, as well as semi-pro and pro teams. In short, players may show talent in their university’s team, and with their experience and talent they may have a shot at being signed for an OWL team. You could argue that if a player ‘deserved’ to be in OWL or on a top tier team they would already be pursuing that in a typical manner of grinding out the ladder, tournaments and making connections.

This is not to say that typical avenues of success in esports like minor, major, and leagues leading into professional play should or should not take precedent over collegiate tournaments. Rather, to elevate overall competition, it is important to play in equal levels of play, while also honing skills that will assist you in furthering yourself in Overwatch (and other games which offer collegiate tournaments). The importance of offering a variety of competition at various levels has not really been tested in esports, and while there are fringe cases of collegiate players advancing higher in their specific game, sometimes it ends up being professional players going into the collegiate scene — whether this is good or not is not really up for debate though. Any level of competitor who can increase the overall skill in collegiate or any level of play should be welcome.

Source: youtube.com/TeamTespa

The tournaments offered by Tespa may bridge that gap, and allow for talent to be seen that would otherwise not be shown in other circumstances. Most of the players who participate in Tespa tournaments play for different reasons. Some, for school spirit and representation; seeing the recognition their traditional sports athletes get may push them to play for their (sometimes varsity) team. Others, it could be purely passion: they may already be playing for a lower tier team that does not have many opportunities or tournaments to play in, however their drive and need for competition lets them focus on both school life and playing for their school’s team. Enabling people to casually or competitively represent their University or College is just like any other representation of school spirit, you want your school and teammates to look good. This, I think, is what may increase popularity and hopefully the overall skill of collegiate Overwatch.

The value of talent from all levels of competition and incorporating them into an “OWL-ready” roster has yet to be seen with the upcoming season of TCS Overwatch, I would not be surprised if we see potential talent being scouted, as well as teams trying to push their skill level to heights not yet seen in the collegiate ecosystem. Young talent is paramount to build off in esports, and the collegiate scene is potentially the best place to consider for future rosters.

The most important takeaway from this should be that instead of mocking those pursuing collegiate options over typical avenues in esports, one ought to hope that the resources available allow for collegiate players to succeed and eventually reach a point in which they can compete with better competition. Individual talent and team skill still exist in all levels of competition in Overwatch and no “lower tier” team or player should be pushed to the side before their ability is tested. Overwatch is still a new game, and new esport. Don’t let other games dictate what is or is not ‘proper talent’ — go out there and prove your worth in collegiate, or other levels of competition. Esports is ever-changing and growing, there is no defined way to be successful; a few years ago, collegiate tournaments did not even exist. The future is optimistically bright for Overwatch, and I think bridging the gap between all levels of skill and competition is the most important thing to focus on currently. Good luck, and we may see you in OWL one day.

Thank you for reading this, any and all feedback is welcome through twitter. Future writing and focus on the Collegiate scene will be considered!