News Release
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David Bernard
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Gather Up the Gamers and Press Start
Overwatch tournament at Wilmington University on April 29 also teaches real world business lessons
Video games take place in a virtual world, but competition is a social activity. The rise of online gaming means you don't have to be in the same room — or even on the same continent — as your opponent, though the action can get pretty exciting wherever you are.
On Saturday, April 29, from noon to 8:00 p.m., the Pratt Center on WilmU's New Castle campus will be the epicenter of an Overwatch championship. WilmU gamers aged 18 and over can apply for a starting or substitute position on the Wildcat Guardians team by completing this form by April 20.
Antonios ("Tony") Fessaras, a Wilmington University undergraduate business management major, is organizing this live tournament and recruiting a home team of classmates who play to win. He's also inviting teams from other area colleges.
Students, friends, family, and other members of the WilmU community are invited to watch the competition for free, and can register for the event here.
"Computer games are the new playing field," said Fessaras, who is also vice president of WilmU's Game Club. The club meets on Tuesday afternoons to discuss, develop and play games. "And Overwatch is an extremely enjoyable game."
Released in May 2016 by Blizzard Entertainment, Overwatch is a multi-player, first-person shooter game in which two teams of six players face off to capture territory, move payloads, and score points as the clock ticks.
To Fessaras, however, bringing the competition to Wilmington University also represents several real-world opportunities. Besides creating a lively event on campus and attracting the attention of prospective students, the Overwatch tournament is a lesson in business management.
"Getting a team together is teaching me the basics of the hiring process," he said, especially since each of the game's 24 characters brings a different set of skills to a team. (Fessaras's preferred character is Junkrat, a defense hero.) "There has also been budgeting, networking, and advertising to put the event together."
The tournament will take place in the Pratt Student Center at 320 N. DuPont Highway as WilmU's Spring Fest entertains on The Green outside. The double-elimination competition will be live-streamed with commentary on a big screen and the event, co-sponsored by Microsoft, will be followed by an after-party at the Microsoft store in the Christiana Mall.
For more information about Wilmington University's Overwatch tournament, e-mail Antonios Fessaras at afessaras001@my.wilmu.edu.
About Wilmington University
Wilmington University is a private, nonprofit institution committed to providing flexible, career-oriented, traditional and online associate, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs. Ranked as the second fastest growing nonprofit doctoral institution in America 2004 – 2014 by The Almanac of The Chronicle of Higher Education, affordable tuition, academic excellence and individualized attention are hallmarks of the University that enable greater student success in their chosen careers. For more information, contact Wilmington University at 302-356-INFO (4636), via email at infocenter@wilmu.edu, or visit our website: www.wilmu.edu.
