The Line Between Sports and eSports Gets Even Blurrier Today
It’s no secret that the eSports scene has exploded over the last little while. There’s industry titans like CS:GO, League of Legends, Fortnite, all offering huge prize pools to winning players. With coaching scenes already established for traditional sports, what’s stopping a similar program from happening to virtual tournaments? Turns out, very little. Now, the University of Portsmouth decided it was time to get their foot in the door.
The University of Portsmouth describes itself as “a progressive and dynamic university with an outstanding reputation for innovative teaching and globally significant research and innovation.” And… yeah, that checks out. An eSports coaching course is certainly innovative. But will it be successful? The odds, surprisingly, are looking good.
A quick dive reveals that the University of Portsmouth has already dipped its toes into the esports scene, if only on a surface level. The on-campus eSports society already has a website up and running. It even comes complete with a full team: the Portsmouth Paladins.
“Designed and delivered in partnership with IFoEC Ltd, the education partner of the International Federation of eSports Coaches,” the course’s official page proudly states, “this course is an essential next step if you want to set yourself apart and make an impact in the pro gaming world“. Offered online or in person, the course lists a handful of features for interested students to consider.
It’s a cross-genre course, with lessons for a wide variety of games. It’ll involve a number of industry professionals. And of course, you’ll learn how to interact with players.
Seeing terms like “shotcallers” and “callouts” in a course description is a little surreal, but it’s a pleasant kind of surreal. Gaming and internet terminology is growing up, becoming less niche every day. Who knows what we’ll see in the next decade?