More than 900 people attended the Hawaiʻi Esports Invitational, March 22 and 23 at the University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu Academy for Creative Media (ACM) Facility. The esports event brought together collegiate teams from the continental U.S. and Hawaiʻi, including six UH campuses.
The Hawaiʻi Esports Invitational welcomed players from Boise State University and Michigan State University, who battled against local teams from UH Hilo, UH Mānoa and UH West Oʻahu; Kapiʻolani, Kauaʻi and Leeward Community Colleges; Chaminade University; and Hawaiʻi Pacific University. Players competed in “Valorant,” a tactical shooter game, and “Super Smash Bros.,” a platform fighter game.
The event was organized by Vanta, an inclusive youth esports platform and league that educates and inspires future esports leaders. High schools also competed, bringing out their “Valorant” teams to showcase their skills in front of potential scouts.
“The turnout far exceeded previous years, with players, families, and friends coming together from across the United States to celebrate esports in Hawaiʻi,” said Paul Todkill, Vanta director of marketing.
Hawaiʻi Esports Invitational overall winners:
- High school “Valorant” champions: McKinley High School
- Collegiate “Valorant” champions: Boise State University
- Open “Super Smash Bros.” competition: Rydra – Michigan State University
- Collegiate “Super Smash Bros.” crews battle: Michigan State University
UH Esports Systems Leadership and Student Summit
UH Mānoa came in second place in the collegiate “Super Smash Bros.” crews battle and third in “Valorant.” In addition to the tournament, UH Mānoa Esports Program Director Nyle Sky Kauweloa highlighted the first-ever UH Esports Systems Leadership and Student Summit, which was hosted on March 21. The purpose of the summit was to share ideas, stories and histories of each club/team on the individual campuses. According to Kauweloa, the goal was to forge greater collaboration among UH campuses. The group also discussed a long-term plan for the UH Esports system as a whole, which included seeking more advisory support and rotating the UH Esports System tournament to other campuses.
Create(x), LAVA
The Hawaiʻi Esports Invitational utilized UH West Oʻahu’s Create(x) lab, which features immersive visualization environments such as a projection system that projects onto three walls and the floor for various augmented virtual environments. Create(x) and UH Mānoa’s Laboratory for Advanced Visualization and Applications, also known as LAVA, are some of the resources for students in the new Creative Computational Media concentration within the UH Mānoa Department of Information and Computer Sciences’ BS Degree and the Creative Computational Media concentration within the UH Mānoa Department of Information and Computer Sciences’ BA Degree. These programs are specifically designed to equip students with the skills to merge creative media with computing, preparing them for careers in fields such as video game development, movie special effects, digital media installations, museum exhibits, theme park design and digital marketing.
