For third-year economics student Mason Jolly, joining Gamecock Esports was more than just about gaming. It was a way to meet new people and find a close community at USC after transferring from the Union campus.
“I'm not that competitive in any of my games, and I like more of the social side,” Jolly said. “I like getting everybody together and just having a good time in person, meeting a bunch of people.”
Gamecock Esports is the only student organization on campus that allows students to compete in different games, like Overwatch, Marvel Rivals and Clash Royale. As president of the organization, Jolly competes in VALORANT, Counter-Strike and League of Legends on teams labeled A, B and C.
Jolly said each team’s letter represents its level of competitiveness and practice commitment. Some teams will travel to the tournaments and practice a few times a week, while players on less serious teams do not typically have scheduled practices.
Any game or team can be played at a serious level and travel to tournaments, Jolly said. Some C teams have set practices, while other C teams do not play for competitive reasons, he said.
Jared Kaplan, third-year biological sciences student and the club's productions leader, said the difference between competitive and casual playing depends on each team and how stressful a given game can get, while finding a balance between competition and having fun. He said his teammates are a lot more serious about the game and care more, especially when losing.
“I'm captain of the B team for VALORANT, and I still see it as kind of relaxing,” Kaplan said. “It's not too stressful because it's a B team, but we all have got to lock in, and we all have got to do our thing.”
Fourth-year civil engineering student Bennett Young, who serves asvice president of the organization, said he enjoys playing at the in-person events and in front of a crowd. Young used to play more competitively but has taken a step back to enjoy the more casual playing style, even at live events.
Young joined the organization his freshman year and has since watched the group become more structured after having a proactive president to help grow the organization. The club used to have about 50 dues-paying members and is now up to over 100, he said.
Young said one of his favorite moments playing for the student organization was at an event in Florence three years ago. Coming into the tournament as a No. 14 seed, Young’s team scored an upset victory against a No. 5 seed opponent.
Young said those types of moments showcase the club's unique experiences, like the friendship, passion and energy that come from playing together in person.
“Looking at the team that we were playing, their skill level was way above our own,” Young said. “But because we were playing in person, we just had a lot more energy than they did, and we were able to kind of get in their heads a little bit.”
Kaplan said he loves this organization because it brings everyone together, no matter how good a person is at a game. He said that because they are playing games, the group should always remain centered around having fun.
Members like Kaplan and Young say the growth of student esports groups across college campuses show how gaming has evolved from a competitive sport to a social activity as esports continue to expand nationally. Kaplan said their community provides a friendly atmosphere for players of all levels, brought together by their mutual love of video games.
“New people that I'm meeting and old people that I'm meeting, I'm bringing into the server, it's awesome,” Kaplan said. “It's kind of like one big crossover event. I got people from here, and then I got all my good friends and other friends coming all together.”
More information on Gamecock Esports can be found on their Linktree and Discord.