SUNY Canton Esports Adds ‘Rainbow Six Siege’ And ‘Rocket League’ For Fall 2019
SUNY Canton will be adding two new teams to its esports lineup for the Fall 2019 semester.
Esports Coordinator Charles Murray said the college received significant student interest for developing squads in “Rocket League” by Psyonix and “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege” by Ubisoft.
“Rocket League is a wildly popular soccer-style game played with rocket-powered cars,” Murray said. “Rainbow Six Siege is a more tactical first-person shooter video game that relies heavily on teamwork and solid communication. Both games are tremendously fun.”
Students will play Rocket League as part of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) which has more than 50 member schools. The Rainbow Six Siege team will play in the Collegiate R6 conference.
SUNY Canton esports launched in Spring 2018 with approximately 17 students actively playing in three games: “Overwatch” and “Hearthstone” by Blizzard; and “League of Legends” by Riot Games. The following semester, esports adopted “Fortnite” by Epic Games and “FIFA” by EA Games. In Spring 2019, the program added “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” by Nintendo.
Approximately 50 students participated in esports last semester.
“We’re anticipating about 100 new gamers in Fall 2019,” Murray said. “We will be expanding team sections to accommodate the influx of students.”
Game Design and Development continues to grow alongside of eSports and has become the fastest growing major at the college. In 2018, 78 full-time students enrolled in the program. This year, 114 new students have made a deposit to secure their spot and are anticipated to start in fall.
“SUNY Canton has established itself as a leader in esports,” said Director of Athletics Randy B. Sieminski. “In addition to adding new games, our next steps will include adding more all-women’s teams, and creating new academic programs to prepare students for the competitive video gaming industry.”
Open tryouts for students will be held at the beginning of the fall semester. Online students should contact Murray at murrayc@canton.edu for participation information.
Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college’s career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 23 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and will be transitioning to the SUNYAC in Fall 2024. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.