So, how did the UAAP’s first foray into esports go?
The year 2024 will go down in history as the UAAP’s first real attempt at holding an esports tournament, with all the growing pains that follow it. Now, after two weeks of back-to-back tournaments, the dust has settled. What’s the overall assessment of the very first UAAP esports event?
What Worked
This may sound rather simple but I believe the event itself worked and was successful. Esports in the UAAP was a demo event but you don’t need a better proof-of-concept than its overall reception.
On the first day the Hyundai Hall and Doreen Fernandez Black Box in Ateneo de Manila University’s Arete was filled with students and fans eager to watch and support their teams. Keep in mind that it wasn’t just Ateneans but students from every participating university making their way to Katipunan. You had even more tuning-in through the official livestream, further showing that there is a crowd that’s hungry for this.
Personally, as someone who’s been following different esports since high school, I couldn’t believe I was part of that crowd. Finally, the energy and passion that the UAAP is known for has found its way to esports. It was almost surreal to hear the chants from each school echo throughout the venue with every play. And of course, with the fans present the teams did their best to not disappoint. They would play up the crowd, hyping both themselves up as the momentum shifts, just like any other UAAP sport.
This was a big moment for a lot of people. Just listen to any of the comments and interviews from fans, players, and the champions. Even though it was a demo event it was a dream come true for many of them. A lot of hard work from the players to the organizers went into this event and they’re all hopeful and excited for the future.
What Needs Work
That being said, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. There’s a general criticism about the scheduling and formatting of the tournaments. All three featured esports didn’t adhere to certain common practices used in these events. While best-of-three and single elimination brackets were disappointing, it’s something that can be easily fixed in the future. But then we have to address the elephant in the room.
Esports events are notorious for running into technical difficulties but the problems this event ran into were especially painful. It’s almost Season 87 of the UAAP and while they’re still testing the waters with esports, there’s a certain standard that people expect from the organization. Multiple pauses and delays, some lasting hours, with no clear communication should be unacceptable from an UAAP event. Two whole days had to be played online because of technical difficulties, which just straight-up sucks for both the fans and players.
You could attribute the difficulties to their choice of venue but this is a much more difficult problem to solve. Having the entire event held in Arete was always a head-scratcher but really, where else could they have gone? Sports arenas aren’t equipped to handle an esports event, meaning the organizers have to set up all that infrastructure themselves. Then you have to consider the timeframe and number of tournaments, making the logistics of everything even more difficult.
Overall, the 2024 UAAP Esports tournament was a success with glaring flaws. When asked, I’m sure many will look back fondly at the event as a whole but there’s work that needs to be done in order to improve the experience for everyone. We’re all cautiously optimistic for the future, and we certainly hope the next UAAP esports will be better than the last.
Banner photo from UAAP Season 87 media team.