The esports team at Colorado Mesa University (CMU) continues to grow in popularity and competition, and looks to bolster their numbers with the opening of their new esports arena.

Located in the lower level of Rotary Hall, the arena comes complete with 30 gaming computers, equipment and streaming capabilities.

“I cannot stress enough how happy I am to see [the new arena],” president of the esports team BJ Long said. “How much joy it brings me walking into that arena, to be able to leave something behind for other Mavericks to use down the road.”

Software and game installations cost an estimated $40,000, according to assistant athletics director and director of club sports Reese Kegans.

The esports team has player tryouts planned for the first week of February, with a few popular games such as Overwatch and League of Legends.

“We’re really wanting to establish a competitive nature of a sports team in a different fashion, being computer evident,” Kegans said. “We’re very small and we have room to grow.”

For now, the arena’s main priority will be on competitive play. In the future, the gaming equipment will be open for all CMU students to have the opportunity to use during open hours.

“There are a lot of reasons for why people might or might not have wanted to reach into esports, especially for certain groups like people of color, women, or LGBTQIA,” esports team advisor Elaine Venter said. “Sometimes the esports community can seem a little aggressive, but it has changed, and there’s so much diversity. It’s growing continuously, and I think for whatever reason you might have had a fear about it, there is a community here at CMU that is tremendously open and supportive.”