Over the summer, CMU Administration quietly moved CMU’s Esports team from Rotary Hall to the Maverick Innovation Center on the other side of campus. The Esports club reported several issues with the move, including damage to club property by movers.
Rotary Hall’s walls featured a decal of the club’s logo, and contained over 30 personal computers. The club also installed video game murals several years ago, alongside a signed mural to honor its founding.
“Our old room was custom-built for us and it included a signed mural from our founder, BJ,” said the student manager of the Esports club Lindsey Onaskelis.
Currently, there are no plans to transfer these art pieces from Rotary Hall to the Maverick Innovation Center.
Outside of the artwork, the Esports club was strategically housed in Rotary Hall because of low-lag levels, which competitive games are often demanding on both a personal computer and the internet that the computer is accessing. This space is now dedicated to Alumni and Career Services with the goal of expanding student network support.
“I feel like a Valorant survivor, as I have been here through and through,” said senior Valorant player Arin Hartung. “Especially since we do not receive much support from CMU, our new room does not have the capabilities to prevent lag due to Spectrum issues.”
Previously, Rotary Hall housed 30 personal computers with USB integration for the Esports club to utilize. In the Maverick Innovation Center, there are now 12 personal computers with limited USB support for the Esports team to utilize.
With fewer personal computers available and several teams needing to practice different video games, only one to two teams may play at once. Members believe this may generate friction among players of different game-based teams.
Another piece of vital practice equipment for the club’s players are televisions. Esports team members use these monitors to practice video games like Super Smash Bros. Following the move, the club’s leadership noted that two of their monitors broke during the transportation process. Now, a singular television remains.
This reduction to one television has limited practice time for the club. Additionally, the reduction in accessible personal computers has led to even less support, as less people can practice at one time.
Despite the damage and subsequent outcomes, no parties have claimed responsibility.
“We are grateful to CMU to continue to have a space on campus,” said Onakelis. “But we are losing our murals, artwork and community space that we all bonded in as a competitive sport and club.”
Beyond the smaller space, some members of the Esports club report anxieties arising around sharing a space with other students – especially engineering students, who frequently use the Maverick Innovation Center. There is no noise barrier separating the club from other students in the building, which does not take into account the loud frustration and excitement often expressed during competitive gaming.
“The reduction in space and size is causing problems among our teams, especially for our larger teams such as Overwatch,” said Hartung. “Our games will disrupt the students not using the space for Esports and we are now competing with the engineering students for parking space.”
Additionally, college athletic program rules previously created a deficit in the usual support an Esports club would receive for technology. This may worsen because of the current limted number of computers in the Maverick Innovation Center.
However, the Esports team is now expecting new gaming computers with greater processing power for their teams to compete with. Currently, the competitive games offered by the CMU Esports are League of Legends, Overwatch, Valorant, Rainbow Six Siege, Super Smash Bros, Rocket League and Marvel Rivals.
Despite the promises for upgraded equipment, the rocky transition from a personalized space with proper equipment on one side of CMU’s campus to a new space on the other side with broken monitors has left team members with feelings of neglect.
“We have won three tournaments for CMU in our limited time here, and it feels like we are being neglected as a competitive sport,” said Overwatch player Liam Habedank. “Other college towns have more jobs, housing and newer equipment. The fundamental infrastructure of CMU and Grand Junction cannot support the expansion that CMU is promoting.”