Club defeats Florida rivals and shows that quarantine is making the team stronger by Guilherme Hiray Leal Posted Friday, May 29, 2020 @ 11:31 AM Orlando, FL (May 28, 2020) – Stay at home and quarantine measures are connecting Knights in so many ways these past several months and its leading to an amazing start for the Esports Club at UCF.. The club claimed the Florida Mayhem Overwatch Collegiate Rumble Championship earlier this week, staying undefeated throughout the process while defeating state rivals like the USF Bulls and Florida Gators. “We’ve always claimed to be the #1 collegiate Overwatch team in the state of Florida for a while, but never got the opportunity to prove our claims until that night,” said Devin “Pandamonium” Vanzant, a senior computer engineering major in the College of Computer Engineering and Computer Science and team captain. “The title is a monument to the time and training each one of us put into making the team, grinding the ladder, learning, improving, and growing as we made our way to the top,” said Alvaro “Alvoricious” Camborda, a senior health sciences major in the College of Health Professions and Sciences. The professional esports team Florida Mayhem, organized the Overwatch, a team-based game set in the future, eight-team single elimination online and awarded a $5,000 prize pool, with the overall winner receiving $2,000. The Knights defeated USF, UF, and finally Full Sail in the final matchup. “It was an amazing feeling to be crowned as the champions of the tournament,” said Muheddean “Dean” Itani, a sophomore digital media major in the Nicholson School of Communication and Media. “I think that there was also a feeling of relief afterwards because we were top seeded, which meant we were expected to be the strongest team.” This is the third title in less than a month for the Esports Club. They have previously won the U.S. Army Reload Collegiate CS:GO Invitational and the TikTok Rocket League Cup. Although the world seems a bit quiet, there are still reasons to have fun and smile, even if you need to stay home. “That’s the beauty of esports,” Vanzant said. Esports have become an alternative for people during quarantine, whether they are playing or watching, said Austin “Infinity” Owens, a senior game design major in the College of Arts and Humanities. The future of the club looks bright, and, if the cooperation between them and the Sport Club Council continues, national success will be a matter of time. “I think that Esports at UCF really does have a lot of potential,” Itani said. “I’m extremely grateful and proud of the time and effort the faculty team and officers have begun to put into Esports.” UCF Sport Clubs are part of University of Central Florida’s Recreation and Wellness Center, funded and supported by the Student Government (SGA). UCF’s Sport Clubs have won nearly 40 team and individual titles since 2003. Club teams are recreational, instructional, and competitive. Watch the Grand Final match against Full Sail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbSmZxyCk20 Back