Wildcat gamers take the floor at Welsh-Ryan

Winter 2017

Wildcat gamers take the floor at Welsh-Ryan

March 1, 2017

By Yifan Wu

Northwestern Esports club hosted its first official event at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday. Between raffles and pizza, more than 40 students competed in “League of Legends” and “Super Smash Bro. Melee,” with winners taking home gaming equipment and cash prizes.

crt shot 1 — Students competed in “Super Smash Bros. Melee” on GameCube consoles and cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs for better response time. Each player had the option to pay a $5 entrance fee, to bring a CRT or console for a $2 discount, or have the fee waived when they bring both.

league of legends tournament — The starters of “League of Legends” team, who is currently representing Northwestern in Big Ten Network’s League season, lead their own squads respectively in Saturday’s tournament. Five teams battled in double elimination.

raffle winner — Minutes after leading his team into the second round of upper bracket, Russ “WardBush” Turkington came out victorious in a raffle. James Yoon, president of Northwestern Esports club handed Turkington a set of Steel Series gaming headphones.

kyle's research — Kyle Nolla (right), a graduate student in cognitive neuroscience and a member of the Northwestern Smash club, collects data as part of her research in gaming performances and determining factors. Players receive $5 each for completing survey as part of her study.

smash cash prize melee — The top eight players in “Super Smash Bros. Melee” split $1,500 in cash. Not bad for three hours of smashing buttons.

Photo at top: Northwestern Esports club hosts its first event at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday.(Yifan Wu/MEDILL)