The University of Barcelona launches the country’s first intra-university competition.
The Spanish University of Barcelona (UB) is making waves in the esports arena with the launch of its inaugural intra-university tournament, UB Alma Mater, featuring the addictive and popular multiplayer game League of Legends. Running from October 10 to November 29, this inaugural competition aims to engage students across various faculties and campuses while promoting values not always seen in this kind of event, such as gender equality, mental well-being, and sustainability.
The tournament was officially unveiled this month during a press event held at the Barcelona Science Park. The eight participating teams received their official jerseys and headsets. The event, hosted by self-proclaimed “gaming expert” Patrick Urbano, was broadcast live on platforms like Twitch and Instagram.
Joan Guàrdia, UB’s rector, expressed enthusiasm for the event, stating, “Today marks the beginning of a wonderfully fun story. UB Alma Mater breaks moulds after our nearly 575 years of history. It is reasonable that UB wants to occupy this space in esports to connect with our student body.”
League of Legends
The tournament aims to ensure a balanced representation in its teams and integrates tools to assess and enhance participants’ “psychological well-being, actively working to prevent burnout and frustration.” Mercè Segarra, UB’s vice-rector for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Transfer, highlighted that the initiative aligns with the university’s core values as it “focuses on gender equality, boosts the Catalan language in a esports setting and prioritises player’s well-being”.
Esports attract sponsors
The competition is supported by various sponsors, including the Institute of Continuing Education and Sony, as well as collaborations from notable brands like Garmin and Red Bull.
Sponsors are attracted by the potential of the already colossal video game market. According to Statista Market Insights, videogames will generate US$282.3 billion in revenue this year, with projections signalling the market will reach US$361.2 billion by 2027. In a similar manner, the esports market will reach a revenue of US$4.3 billion this year and target US$5.9 billion by 2029.
Chinese universities have been offering college majors in esports since 2016, with the first graduates emerging in the summer of 2021, according to the Chinese news site Global Times. That same year, the number of esports companies registered in the country amounted to 18,000. Moreover, esports debuted in the Asian Games in 2022, with China presenting seven different video games as official competition categories for Hangzhou Asian Games 2022.
First Spanish esports tournament
Starting on October 10, 56 students will compete in mixed teams across seven game days, culminating in a grand final on November 29 at the SAGA Gaming Hall in the city of Hospitalet (near Barcelona). The matches will be open to the public, allowing the community to engage with the esports phenomenon firsthand.
The competition also includes a research component, using artificial intelligence to monitor player performance and mental health and boost the players’ skills. This innovative approach, led by UB psychology professor Albert Sánchez Niubo, seeks to analyse sleep patterns and physical activity to tailor support for players and offer a “personalised analysis.”
