OCU Esports will be co-hosting 1UP Open, a public esports tournament on Feb. 29 at Cox Convention Center.
Paul Vaughan, esports coordinator and head coach, said the tournament will feature six games: “Tekken 7,” “Super Smash Bros Ultimate,” “Fortnite,” “Rocket League,” “NBA2k” and “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.” He said 1UP Open is the second tournament hosted by OCU esports and is far more ambitious than the first.
Vaughan said it is a collaboration between OCU esports, ExtraLife, a video game-themed charity, and the OKC Blue.
“They are giving us the venue and a lot of equipment. They are also providing some of the prizes, actually. You can win some courtside tickets if you end up winning the NBA2k tournament.” Vaughan said.
Vaughan said esports is entering several of their varsity players as ringers but is also encouraging clubs and teams from other universities, as well as the general public, to get involved. He said excitement for these types of events is relatively new for the sport, and it continues growing.
“Three years ago, you would not have found these opportunities. On a much smaller scale, Oklahoma has had a pretty active Smash scene for quite a while, but recently we’ve seen more and more games being played and excitement increasing.” Vaughan said.
Vaughan said esports has grown in the collegiate scene, and this year OCU esports created a varsity team.
He said the Overwatch and Call of Duty teams will be debuting at the tournament.
Vaughan said he is excited to walk into this new position to help craft a program which hopefully becomes a leader in the collegiate esports world. He said his job is to continue to keep players safe and valued, as well as help the program expand.
“I am the coordinator and head coach. I look to facilitate discussions during practices, insuring people can voice their opinions to make sure everyone is on an equal player field,” Vaughan said.
Vaughan said he would like to encourage anyone interested in either competitive or social games to consider joining esports. He said both are important, helping students become stronger and closer to each other.
“If you want to hop in and get involved more with students playing together in a common space, it’s a good place to do that.” Vaughan said.
Vaughan said the varsity teams represent OCU in competitions against other teams and are more for those who have ambitions of bringing their skill set to the next level.
“It’s like going to the gym and playing a couple rounds of pickup basketball versus finding a team and getting into the amateur scene. It’s not for everyone, but if you are interested, you should give it a try,” he said. “You’ll find people build very strong bonds in esports because, essentially, we are working with other people to complete a challenge. That is one of the most important things people can do for growth.”
Vaughan said he sees larger tournaments and plans of renovation on campus as exciting developments for the organization. He said he believes esports could become an important part of the community.
“In the long term, I want to see OCU become a central hub for university esports. We’ll be finishing up an esports arena here shortly, which will help us improve and also allow us to organize events in our own space and show Oklahoma what our esports program is all about,” Vaughan said.
Douglas Perry, instrumental music education freshman, said he joined the esports club because he saw it as a great opportunity to meet new friends and bond over a common passion.
“I wanted to make connections with people who enjoy doing things I enjoy, outside of my major. I thought that being in a place that connects people with video games through all realms of the university was the best place to do that. Playing games with others provides a sense of accomplishment that you don’t always get when you play alone,” Perry said.
1UP Open Tournament will be Feb. 29 at 9 a.m. Sign-ups can be found online, and a ticket to the event includes access to the Oklahoma City Blue game the same evening.
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