UNCG is hosting our first E2Weekend (Esports + Education) – a weekend of esports tournaments, as well as educational Unreal Engine and Fortnite Creative toolset training provided. Produced in collaboration with Epic Games, the training and tournament finals will be held in the UNCG Esports Arena and Learning Lab, on October 28 and October 29.
UNCG is at the nexus of where esports and academics collide. Currently, there are more than 175 million people who play video games in the United States, with that number expected to hit 182.6 million by 2024. In 2021, 465.1 million people watched live-streamed gaming content and that number is expected to reach 577.8M by 2024. UNCG’s goal is to lead and enhance esports education and develop the esports industry leaders of the future.
The Unreal Engine Accelerator Experience is a two-day, hands-on educational opportunity open to regional high school educators, and UNCG faculty, staff, and students. Registrants can attend one or both days. Participants will learn how to build interactive 3D experiences using Unreal Engine – the world’s most open and advanced real-time 3D creation tool. They’ll also learn how to jump in and use Fortnite’s Creative toolset to build anything they can imagine using assets and devices from the game.
Spartan Clash featuring Fortnite is a solo-player Fortnite tournament open to UNCG students, as well as students from North Carolina High Schools, Colleges, and Community Colleges. Competitors will take part in online qualifiers, with the top 45 players competing in the UNCG Esports Arena and Learning Lab in the finals on Saturday, October 29th. Players will compete for a total prize pool of $1,000 – $3,000. Doors open at 3 pm, with the competition starting at 4:30 pm. Join the battle.
The E2Weekend is the latest initiative that places UNCG as a national leader in the esports space. UNCG also offers a non-credit certificate program in esports and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management with a concentration in esports. The next UNCG E2Weekend is January 13-15, 2023, and will include an additional Unreal Engine Accelerator Experience, and a Spartan Clash featuring Rocket League. For more information visit esports.uncg.edu.
