UBC Okanagan Esports Association

UBC Okanagan Esports Association The UBC Okanagan Esports Association is a Kelowna based, student run, non-profit gaming community. Ou Past sponsors include VEDA Living and WTFast.

Having separate beginnings in 2014 as UBC Okanagan Smash and the League of Legends Club, UBC Okanagan Esports Association was officially established in 2016 by Kelvin Lei, Brett Meraw, and Bailey Leatherdale in a move to include all video gaming interests on campus. Events are held mostly on the UBC Okanagan campus, although they are not restricted to students and are open for everyone. Our goal i

s to create an inclusive community where like-minded individuals can enjoy their favourite aspects of video gaming together. Tournaments and collegiate competitive are staples of our association, along with other social functions, viewing parties, and LAN parties. Many thanks to Riot Games for their collegiate program support, as well as the Tespa collegiate network.

Address

University Way
Kelowna, BC
V1V1V7

Telephone

+17782322233

Website

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Our Story

Having its roots in 2013, the UBC Okanagan Esports Association began as the UBCO League of Legends Club. When founders Peter Lin and Kelvin Lei first met at UBCO, they encountered many others interested in gaming and decided to look for a video gaming club on campus. Despite the heavy interest in gaming amongst their peers, particularly in League of Legends, they were surprised to find that a club didn’t exist for video gaming. As a result, the two set off to establish the UBCO League of Legends Club, which would become the UBC Okanagan Esports Association in 2016.

Met with a few initial roadblocks regarding the validity of a video gaming club, and the lack of awareness in the growing idea of esports, the club was nevertheless officially ratified with the UBCSUO. Support began from Riot Games, and though the club was focused mostly on League of Legends due to its ubiquitous popularity at the time, rapid membership growth resulted in a branching off to more general gaming events, such as LAN parties. Esports growth continued to increase rapidly, as the club was 1 of 75 collegiate gaming clubs in North America invited by Riot Games to Riot HQ in the 2014 Collegiate Summit. There, the club co-founders had a chance to share ideas and experiences with other leaders, as well as build on their collegiate network.

As the club grew more as a home for all video gamers, and other games began their foray into the esports scene, it was clear that adaptation was needed. Close ties between League of Legends Club founders and the founder of the UBCO Smash Club, Brett Meraw, resulted in a number of joint events, including staple major events such as Extra Life. The club continued to grow, peaking with a membership of over 200 members, with larger events enjoying 100+ attendees.