Detroit Mercy eSports club looks to expand games, membership

BY MADELYN RUSH / VN STAFF WRITER

Electronic sports, better known as eSports, have been gaining traction for years – and now are growing in popularity at Detroit Mercy.

The university’s eSports club is championed by students from various majors who work together and share ideas.

“I got involved with this because I played competitive eSports myself,” said Logan Manor, a sophomore majoring in computer science. “I know it’s not just me that wants to meet others at school and game together.”

Just like any athlete, gamers need hours of practice to master their craft and to play in the competitive online networks.

“eSports is the future of professional sports,” said Manor. “This is just like playing football or soccer. These players are paid to play the sport they love.”

Manor has been playing video games since he was 3, starting with Mario Kart on Game Cube.

Beyond the hours of practice it takes to be a part of eSports, there is also a growing fanbase watching these athletes compete at staggering levels.

According to Statistica, eSports are expected to reach 474 million viewers by the end of 2021.

“eSports have been on a steady incline in popularity due to the amount of time they have been around,” said Kellen Burrows, a junior architecture major and another member of the Detroit Mercy eSports team. “The pandemic accelerated that growth due to physical sports being suspended.”

Burrows credits the success to the hundreds of games available to participants and spectators.

A diversity of games is something the eSports club is actively pursuing by looking for new members to participate and join the team.

“If there’s any game you like playing for fun, or competitively, then join the UDM eSports Discord group,” said Burrows. “We’ve been rapidly growing and have many plans for getting involved in college eSports in the coming months.”