PEORIA MAGAZINE August 2023

S P O T L I G H T

NOT YOUR GRANDPA’S GAME

Grab a seat and buckle up, as esports are central Illinois’ newest competitive ride

BY STEVE STEIN PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

A rena Esports is happily jumping on the esports bandwagon. Esports, short for electronic sports and best described as organized, competitive video gaming, is a worldwide phenomenon. Professional esports gamers can earn millions of dollars and college students can earn scholarships to compete in esports for their school. In Illinois, high school students can win IHSA esports state championships. Arena Esports, located in downtown Morton, 121 S. Main St., in a former bridal store, opened Nov. 25 and has games for personal computers, Playstation V, XBox Series X, Nintendo Switch and Virtual Reality. “A lot of esports gamers play at home. We’re aware of that. We emphasize the social aspects of esports gaming,” said Travis Langenbach, who owns Arena Esports with his wife Lynn. ‘AGE DOESN’T MATTER IN ESPORTS’ Spencer McDaniel has brought week ly Super Smash Brothers Ultimate tour naments to Arena Esports, attracting entrants from as far away as Galesburg and Danville.

An app creator and website designer for OSF HealthCare., McDaniel orga nizes Super Smash Brothers Ultimate tournaments in the Great River Valley region, an area that encompasses Peoria, Springfield, Bloomington, Champaign and Davenport (Iowa). There are about 10 in-person Super Smash Brothers Ultimate tournaments weekly throughout the region during the busiest times in the esports gaming world: August through May. About 10 players now compete in the Arena Esports’ Super Smash Brothers Ultimate tournaments, but the number is slowly growing, McDaniel said. Most of the players are high school age. At age 23, McDaniel is the “elder statesman” of the group. “Age doesn’t matter in esports,” McDaniel said. “If you have good skills, you can win. I’ve been beaten by my share of 12-year-olds who are really good players. “Esports weren’t a thing when I was growing up. Now they’re a way to meet friends who have a common interest, and be competitive if you can’t be competitive in other sports. “I’ve seen parents be very supportive. Esports teaches kids how to cope in an

anxious, competitive environment and learn social skills.” BIG GAMERS ON CAMPUS Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloom ington has a robust collegiate esports program with varsity and club teams playing League of Legends, Valorant, Rocket League, Overwatch and Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. PLAYERS CAN EARN “Esports players can find a home here and turn their hobby into a career. There’s big money out there for esports professionals,” said Cory Kennedy, the university’s esports director. A recent list of the top 100 esports money winners put together by Esports Earnings, a community-driven compet itive gaming resource, showed the top six gamers in the world earning seven figures over the past 12 months. Many more had earnings in the six figures. Illinois Wesleyan varsity esports coaches recruit players, just like any other sport at the school. Those players can earn scholarships worth up to $25,000. COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS WORTH UP TO $25,000

34 JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE