Macleans College finalists compete at the University of Auckland Esports Arena

Posted on April 21, 2023

Over 200 students competed in the Macleans College Esports Championship over an eight week stretch, culminating in the finals being held at the University of Auckland’s Esports Arena during the last week of Term 1.

Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organised, multiplayer video game competitions, individually or as teams.

The League of Legends finals commenced with Bruce Wei’s team pulling ahead to an early lead through skilful individual play. However, the teamwork and resilience of Richie Zhang’s team ultimately won out, securing them a 2-0 victory after several sizeable comebacks.

The Valorant finals also began in nail-biting fashion, as the first match went into quadruple overtime. Despite the heroic efforts of Karanvir’s Kingra’s team, they could not hold off Hank He’s side - catalysed up by the MVP performance of Ethan Pelayo. This first marathon of a game ultimately snowballed to a 2-0 victory for Hank He’s team.

Both victorious teams received trophies and the title of ‘Macleans Premier 1’ for their efforts. They look forward to seeing their form continue into the inter-school season in Term 2.

Those attending were grateful for the generosity of the University of Auckland staff, who offered their state-of-the-art facility for use. This was the first time most of these students had played together in person, and it was also the first opportunity for many of the student broadcasters to commentate to a live audience. This was a wonderful way to highlight the conclusion of the Term 1 competition, and was an invaluable experience for those competing.