You’re on a quest to find the newest addition to the college’s athletics, you walk across campus. Turn right at the Powerhouse bridge. Check the back door. Walk around the building. Turn right. Check the hallway. Look around the corner. Ask for help. Finally, you enter a dark space strung with blue lights. What reward do you find? Added skills, power, knowledge, tools? All of the above. You’re in the Whitney Game Lab, the home of Buccaneer Esports.

Esports are video games played in an organized competitive environment. Different game genres require distinct skills, and during the fall esport season Beloit College competes primarily in three games: Rocket League, Valorant, and Marvel Rivals. The 24 members of the team, four of whom were recruited by new Esports Coordinator Karlo Delos Angeles, were selected for their technical proficiency in seeing angles, memorizing plays, reading the field, and for their ability to communicate and work as a team. Delos Angeles was hired last year to build the esports program after working for two years at Albion College as their esports director.

During his interview he recognized that Beloit College was invested and prepared with equipment and resources. He smiles, recounting Dean of Students Ron Watson’s unprecedented interview question: how would you compare Marvel Rivals to Overwatch 2?

Team members had similar reactions to the new program. “I’m surprised at how much the college is taking it seriously,” says Supratim Saha ’26 (gamertag “surho”). Esports players choose a gamer tag, a unique nickname to represent themselves in games. It’s clear that the team is equally committed to maintaining the competition space, designing scoreboards, running commentary, and promoting the team and college’s presence on web platforms like Twitch.

That is what Delos Angeles looked for when selecting players — the desire to be a part of something that they can leave their mark on. Dean of Students Ron Watson shares the sentiment. “My excitement about esports at Beloit is two-fold. On the one hand, it gives students a new outlet for expressing their interests and talents as they represent the college on a competitive stage. On the other, we have the opportunity to help shape a culture around competitive gaming that is more egalitarian and inclusive of gamers of all types.”

While competition has been an integral part of videogames since their inception in the 1970s, esports wasn’t an option in Delos Angeles’ college experience, and definitely not something seen then as part of a career. Now he asks, If other sports can, why can’t you build an esports program where students can compete and create a record of their work that they take with them postgraduation as part of their professional portfolios?

Ezekiel Hernandez ’29 (gamertag “zke”) describes his trajectory from being the worst on the scoreboard to ending up as a Buccaneer recruit. “This is beyond fun. Sure we’ve all played plenty of games on our couch, and that’s fun, but this is more. I’m helping a team. The people around me. We see growth in real time.”

Delos Angeles knows some may be skeptical, but he believes in his team and this opportunity. “Gamers get a bad rap, like they don’t have the social skills. But they’re communicators, and this is an opportunity to demonstrate those skills, performing in high-stress situations.”

“Gaming starts as a hobby but you keep improving. You see new players with a passion for the game showcase their skills. Everyone is taking it seriously, bringing what they can give. Everyone wants to see our team succeed. Watch the streams. See us win!” says Gyle Mariñas ’29 (gamertag “rfmr”).

Beloit College is part of the Wisconsin Esports Conference (WEC). Esports season runs September through December. Go Bucs!