Georgia State University’s varsity esports program has won its second national championship this fall, winning 3-1 against the Georgia Institute of Technology in the American Video Game League’s (AVGL) “SMITE” Collegiate Championship in the grand finals.

Team members included:

Praful “AvantGade” Gade

Andrew “ZeuoGod” Giuong

Dong “DongaviusII” Yoo

Redesh “StrongestWarGod” Rai

Billy “basikally” Stonier

Nicolas “Darkclaw34” Gray

Manuel “PoliceLettuce” Lopez

The team is coached by Mark Ademisoye. Matches were played online and video-on-demand of the game is available at https://www.twitch.tv/videos/518997762.

The AVGL is one of the leading organizers of college and university esports events and tournaments, with competitions taking place online and in-person.

Founded in 2017, Georgia State’s varsity esports program participates with other Georgia academic institutions in the Georgia Esports League and is among the more than 100 colleges and universities nationwide participating in the National Association of Collegiate Esports. Team members are eligible to earn scholarships and are expected to maintain high scholastic performance.

Varsity esports provide benefits beyond game play, including student participation in broadcasting, production, marketing, management and game development, a rapidly growing part of Georgia’s entertainment industry. The game “SMITE” is one example – the game is produced by Hi-Rez Studios, based in metro Atlanta.

Georgia State Esports also sponsors a semi-annual esports tournament, called PantherLAN, attracting players from colleges and universities in the Southeast. The most recent tournament this fall was held at Georgia State Stadium for the first time, attracting students, esports enthusiasts, game companies, entertainment companies and members of the public.

Esports at Georgia State are housed in the Creative Media Industries Institute and have oversight by the Executive Officer for Entrepreneurship in the Office of the Provost. Technical, logistical and production support is provided by the university’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.