Today’s Best of 5 is an Overwatch-filled edition, mixed in with the return of old friends and a preview of the biggest Collegiate LAN ever.
- Overwatch team comes bursting out of the gate at UGC
If you follow me on Twitter (@Jazzy_reporter), then you’ll know that I’ve been ready for the performance of UTD’s Overwatch team for a long time. With the addition of Bani as head coach and a stacked roster, this is one of the best Overwatch rosters UTD has ever had, and they came out of the gate swinging. In the first tournament of the semester, UTD ran through the bracket only to be stopped by Northwood Esports – one of the best teams in the nation – in the finals. You can tune in to the team’s matches when they go live on Mondays for the NACE Starleague and keep an eye out for when UGC matches are announced.
Editor’s Note: They have since changed this policy to allow all ages in to the watch party.
- Dallas Fuel Playoffs Watch Party is 21+ only
Oh boy, the Overwatch League Playoffs are this week! Not only that, but Dallas Fuel is hosting a watch party at Northside Drafthouse, right in our backyard! Let me just go and buy the tickets and … what?
The watch party is being hosted next door to a university full of 18 to 20-somethings, and only fans 21 and older are allowed entry? As the former president would say, this is the worst trade deal in the history of trade deals, maybe ever. Why can’t most of the undergraduate population go to the party? Why host it here when it’s right next to the University? I can’t even go to this watch party! While I haven’t got a response from Dallas Fuel regarding the policy yet, I’m greatly saddened by the inability to go to a bar that I could walk into on any other night. Some of the UTD Overwatch team can’t even go to the watch party, and while I understand they’re holding the event at a bar, I don’t know why that automatically leads to excluding a very present and passionate fanbase that lives next to the venue.
- Comet Clash is back!
Maybe once I write enough columns, a drinking game could be based on how many times I’ve used the “X thing is back” format. But it’s genuinely exciting to see the return of Comet Clash to the weekly Smash tournament lineup since it provides another good opportunity to compete without having to make a big drive or pay a venue fee. As of now, it’s being hosted in the Student Union due to complications with using the Blackstone Launchpad, but it’s still ridiculously easy for Comets to attend on Sunday evenings. With a location that’s right at home and a $3 entry fee to play in the singles bracket, there isn’t a better chance to fight for glory against some of the best players in the DFW area.
- The Overwatch Collegiate schedule gets announced – and blasted
Blizzard announced a brand-new schedule for collegiate competition, and the uproar was loud and immediate. Especially for West Coast schools, many matches were scheduled during common class times, seemingly forcing the “rock and a hard place” decision between playing official matches and going to school (the reason that most students are enrolled in college). While the schedule has since been mildly adjusted to benefit the most affected schools, there will still be some tough decisions and compromises to make for schools to participate. Compounded with additional leagues and tournaments both on the weekends and during the week, it seems that collegiate competition is getting kneecapped by the biggest enemy of all: time.
- HUE Invitational 2021
Unfortunately, due to production timing, I’ll be writing this column before the HUE Invitational actually happens. Once again, UTD’s Overwatch team should’ve been there (curse COVID-19!), but instead, I’ll have to actually make bracket predictions that don’t consist of UTD winning everything. I’ll make the minorly safe bets that Maryville will win the League of Legends tournament and Northwood will win the Overwatch tournament, but you can check the bracket and laugh at how silly past me was to predict such a thing. It’s probably the most competitive collegiate gameplay of recent memory, so if you didn’t watch the matches, I highly recommend going back to watch the VODS.