The BYU-Hawaii Gamers Club held their annual League of Legends Tournament meet and greet to prepare for their upcoming electronic sports tournament that is scheduled to take place throughout the month of November.The tournament is centered on League of Legends, a multiplayer online battle arena, or MOBA game. Each game consists of two teams that have five members. Each team fights towards each other’s base and ultimately tries to destroy the opposing teams nexus.“Today is our meet and greet. We want people to get together and either make a team with people here or sign up as a team with people they already know.” Romney added. The teams that are signed up for the tournament will be able to compete from their homes or dorms. Once a week, each team will face off on a map called Summoner’s Rift. The winners of each match will progress to the next bracket until finals come. The tentative date for the finals and semi-finals is November 17, 2014, according to the BYUH Gamers Club.Scott Romney, who serves as the BYUH Gamers Club president has been planning this event, along with other members of the Gamers Club, throughout summer. “We had a rough time last year, but we wanted to do it big this year,” Romney stated. “We talked to the companies that are in charge of the game and they got us some cool in-game prizes.”“The BYUH Gamers Club has actually partnered with Riot Games, the creators, and we’re getting prizes from them,” said Mitch Diamond, a junior from Utah studying computer science, and vice president of the Gamers Club. The winners of the competition will be able to win in-game prizes like in-game cash called Riot Points or rare skins for champions that are only accessible by winning a tournament hosted by Riot Games, the creators of League of Legends.There are five distinct roles in the current “meta,” or play style, during this 2014 season. The roles work hand in hand with each other and bring their own specialties to the team. There are three lanes on the map and in each lane a player takes a certain champion. On the bottom lane however, there are two players who work as a duo in the lane.“My friend and I usually just duo together and decided we might as well sign up,” said Spencer Grubbe, a freshman from Oregon studying psychology, “I play support in the bottom lane.” Grubbe stated that setting up a play and getting the enemies to fall is the most rewarding part of being a support, saying, “It’s fun.”For anyone interested in following the standings of the teams or any information in regards to the BYUH Gamers Club League of Legends tournament, contact Kevin Vuhung at kevin.vuhung90@gmail.com.
Writer: Jared Roberts ~ Multimedia Journalist
