The Academic Esports World Tournament is the first global competition to blend esports with academic challenges.
The tournament takes place from 14 to 19 December 2024 at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College (UHMC) and brings together eight universities from across four continents.
"I'm excited to test my skills in a tournament like this. It's truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience," says student Hugo Vettori.
He is one of ten students in the bachelor's programme in academic esports participating on UiA's team.
"This tournament breaks new ground in how we think about esports in education. We’re creating something that has never been done before at this international scale. It is also an excellent opportunity for cultural exchange and networking on a global scale," says Rune Andersen, the programme coordinator for academic esports at UiA.
Andersen, who initiated the entire tournament, has worked with UiA's esports community to design the framework. UiA is also handling the tournament's academic component.
A blend of gaming and academic knowledge
In the tournament, students compete in popular esports games like League of Legends, Valorant and Rocket League, as well as tackling academic tasks such as programming, case-solving and discussions on key esports topics.
At UiA, students have engaged in qualifying rounds, both in the games and academic tasks, to prepare for what awaits them in Hawaii.
Sixty per cent of the points are awarded for academic tasks and forty per cent for esports competitions. The total score will determine which university is crowned the world champion in academic esports.
Additionally, the "Aloha Spirit Award" will be presented to a participant who exhibits outstanding sportsmanship and collaboration skills.
More information and how to follow the tournament
Not a regular esports tournament
"This is not your typical professional tournament, it's a blend of a gaming event and academic themes. Participants must show both academic competence and mastery of the gaming medium. In essence, it's about how students can transfer gaming skills to the workplace," Andersen explains.
Among the academic challenges is a programming task where students create a game with a sustainability theme, and a case-solving exercise where they come up with ideas on how esports can drive innovation in business and industry.
Participants will also engage in panel discussions on current topics such as inclusion and the environment in esports.
More institutions look to UiA
Currently, UiA is the only university offering a complete study programme in academic esports. More institutions are now integrating esports-related subjects into their programmes and are looking to adopt more of UiA's model.
"Many offer education in esports alongside fields like business, sport or game development. But none have a comprehensive bachelor's and master's programme and research environment in academic esports," says Andersen.
He notes that UiA has become an attractive partner for other universities offering education in esports, with many seeking to establish collaboration agreements.
"They come to us now, whereas before, we were the ones reaching out to them," he says.