Most people reading this right now have most likely been told at some point in their lives, possibly by a teacher or a parent, that playing video games is a waste of time. One Reddit user claims that they were subjected to the same disparaging remarks growing up, but now playing Overwatch competitively is said to be putting them through college. Take that, mom!
u/Viperfang123 says that their position on the university’s varsity Overwatch esports team is “ECAC recognized,” and that this nod from the Eastern College Athletic Conference means that “the guy who people said is wasting his life on games is now a varsity college athlete.”
Their inspiring success isn’t only going to improve their gaming skills, but a reported “$12,000 dollar semester scholarship” will also most likely ensure that Viperfang123 can see the “Cyber Security/ Computer Science double major” they’re studying through to completion. They won’t be eligible to receive any potential tournament winnings as a result, however, with those funds said to go straight “back to the program.”
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Viperfang claims to be playing a DPS role for Saint Francis Esports, who you can find on Twitch, with the first scrimmage apparently set to be streamed live on September 17. Supportive Overwatch fans in the Reddit thread where Viperfang first shared the news are already marking their calendars to tune in and cheer them on.
Almost as many people are more than a little envious, however, flaunting their ranks and lamenting that they only play for fun. Some are even wishing that they were born that little bit later, as with u/mrbartlebee who said: “Man… if only eSports were popular when I was in college.”
It speaks volumes to the explosive growth of esports and the growing wider acceptance of video games that it’s now possible to be officially recognized as a varsity college athlete and receive a sizeable scholarship for playing Overwatch, not to mention many other competitive multiplayer games.
