UAAP eSports set for launch

Seated L-R: Ateneo Student-Athlete Services Assistant of the Office of College Athletics Trina Aligada, Ateneo UAO Assistant Director for Facilities Jennifer Saret, UAAP Executive Director Rene Saguisag, Jr., Ateneo Athletics Director Emmanuel Fernandez, UAAP eSports Operations Head Ades Amorato, UAAP Season 87 eSports Commissioner Monique Monasterio. Standing are the different coaches and student athletes competing in the inaugural UAAP eSports Tournament.

The much-talked about inaugural edition of eSports in the UAAP will finally take place this coming Tuesday, August 13.

Initially proposed during Season 85 by then-Board of Managing Directors representative Francis Diaz, and originally scheduled to take place at the end of UAAP Season 86, it is now set to kick off things for the hosting of the University of the Philippines in Season 87, with an initial classification of "special events."

Serving as the sub-host for the competition is Ateneo de Manila University, as illustration of their commitment towards innovation and inclusivity.

Ateneo's BoMD representative Emmanuel Fernandez shares, "Through the years, the UAAP has expanded with new events like beach volleyball, poomsae, and 3x3 basketball. This shows that the UAAP will adapt."

Tournament Commissioner Monique Monasterio says, "The goal this season was to be as inclusive as possible and give students many chances to participate, so we decided to include popular titles from different platforms." She adds, "As you know, there are many esports titles, and narrowing it down was definitely a challenge, but the UAAP is committed, so there will be more chances to join for those whose game of choice hasn’t been selected yet."

Matches are set to take place at Areté Ateneo, with three games comprising the inaugural edition: NBA2K24, Valorant, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. All eight member-institutions will be fielding participants in all three games.

The first two games will commence at the Doreen Fernandez Black Box and Hyundai Hall, respectively, while Hyundai Hall will host ML:BB on August 17-21.

NBA2K24 will be a 16-player tournament split into two pools, with each university having two student-athletes. The top two of each pool will advance into the Final Four.

Valorant splits the eight schools into two groups: Group A will have La Salle, FEU, Adamson, and Ateneo. Group B will have UST, UP, NU, and UE.

ML:BB is split into FEU, NU, Ateneo, and DLSU for Group A and UST, UP, UE, and Adamson in Group B.

Both of these game will have a best-of-two format, with three points for a win and a point for a tie. Top two teams will advance into the Final Four, with a best-of-three format in place for all postseason matchups.

With all of this, Monasterio expressed her excitement for the competition: "As someone who’s been a ‘gamer’ since I was a kid, I can hardly believe how much esports and gaming have grown as an industry. I feel incredibly lucky to not only witness it but to be a part of its history and the many ‘firsts’ in the Philippines. The feeling is surreal, and it gives me a lot of joy and hope that this is only the beginning for esports in the UAAP. Expect bigger and better things to come!"

UAAP Executive Director Atty. Rene Saguisag Jr. notes about the tournament's significance. "This event continues the league’s commitment to evolving with the times while also playing a vital role in nurturing future national athletes," he says.

The tournament will be broadcast on these specific platforms: One Sports (both on television and on its YouTube channel), the UAAP Varsity Channel, and Pilipinas Live!.