Over the weekend Brunel University (Uxbridge, London) hosted its first-ever e-sports tournament in an attempt to raise money for charity.
Sixteen teams went head-to-head playing League of Legends, Riot Games’ popular free-to-play MOBA title. Winners were awarded prizes from the developer, while spectators were able to donate to a worthy cause - either at the venue itself, or online via the Gaming for Good website. The tournament proceeds have contributed towards Gaming for Good’s $11.6m Save the Children target. The target hasn’t yet been reached, but progress looks strong with over $11m raised so far. In all, over £500 was raised, with donations coming from both students and the public.
Iva Bachvarova, a second-year Games Design student who helped organize the tournament, expressed enthusiasm for future e-sports tournaments when asked. “We had a limit of 16 teams but could we could have managed quite a few more,” she said. “I hope to arrange more tournaments next academic year and am really looking forward to the next one.”
Chris Cox, a Game Design lecturer at the University, said: “Games are increasingly about the community they are played in. This sort of venture gives students an invaluable learning experience, interacting with just such a community, managing all the things that go into setting up a fixture.”
Although based in the United Kingdom, Save the Children is a global charity which seeks to improve the lives of children around the world, operating in over 120 countries. Back in 2012, they raised over £284 million - that’s around $477m - and helped over 10 million kids. You can discover more about the Charity by visiting their website.
Shehzaan Abdulla
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