On August 24, esport student-athletes from 12 Ontario colleges and universities gathered at Durham College’s (DC) Esports Gaming Arena to compete in the Ontario Collegiate Rocket League (OCRL) Finals. A total of $7,000 in scholarship prizing was up for grabs in addition to the first-place title and – of course – bragging rights.

Co-produced by DC and OCRL, an entirely student-run organization, DC’s Esports Gaming Arena staff also offered mentorship throughout the event as students gained real-work experience for their resumés to help them gain employment in the fast-growing esports industry.

Fans were able to take in the action in-person thanks to the arena’s ample spectator space as well as online via Twitch, the world’s leading live streaming platform for gamers.

Although scholarship money eluded them, DC’s Rocket League players did achieve an upset in their bracket with a win over the second-seed Lambton College team, which knocked the Lambton Lions out of the tournament.

In the end, the Waterloo Warriors (University of Waterloo) took first place; Guelph Gryphons (University of Guelph) placed second; and third place went to the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.