IU East Esports To Play in Overwatch 2 Championship
RICHMOND, Ind. --
IU East Esports steps into a post-season world.
The Red Wolves Overwatch 2 and Super Smash Bros Ultimate teams both took second place in their divisions for their season, earning a spot in playoffs.
Overwatch 2 finished the season with a 5-1 record going into the quarter finals. In the first-round first match against University of South Dakota on April 2, they won 3-2. The match featured the Red Wolves making a sizeable come-back, with them down 0-2 going into the third match of the set.
"It was an incredible thing to watch," Coach Andrew Britt said. "The team was so nervous going into play-offs, that mental can have a huge impact on gameplay. I watch jitters cost our Valorant team their quarter final match in the fall. After their second loss we took a break, strategized, and they really rallied back strong."
Making it to their semi-finals match against Seattle University on April 9, Red Wolves Overwatch 2 did not give an inch to their opponents, taking the match 3-0. Seattle University was previously undefeated.
When asked to describe their feelings on their previous match and their season as a whole some of the players offered these thoughts.
"Our team synergy is at an all-time high and that's what makes us able to win our games. Our team captain Kady is what really holds us together," Kyle DeLeon, freshman DPS player.
"This whole team is amazing and means the world to me, and I cannot describe how proud I am of us, how far we've come…" Annie White, freshman Support player.
"The enemy team may have been higher ranks than us but as long as we play as a team and communicate then we are better then them every day of the week," Kyler Shumaker, sophomore Tank player.
With 2 wins under their belts, Overwatch 2 will be moving into the divisional finals match Tuesday, April 16 against Alexandria Technical and Community College's B Team. ATCC's A team was the only team to take down the Red Wolves during their main season, but they fell to the B team in this week's match.
Fans can catch the Overwatch 2 finals match live on Twitch, Youtube, and Stretch internet. The match will start at 7 p.m.
Super Smash Bros Ultimate also made post-season for the first time. In their quarterfinal match on April 4, the teams took the game to the limit, playing all 3 matches in a best-of-three format. The Red Wolves managed to secure a victory against the University of Jamestown, 2-1.
April 11 saw the Red Wolves face Western Michigan University in their semifinals match. The Red Wolves fell to WMU, but still had a history making season for IU East. In reflecting on the season, captain Rosalyn Gabaldon had this to say, "Even if some of us had regrets we did our best and made it to top 4 and I'm so proud of everyone's growth…"
"I'm constantly impressed with the students in this esports program," Coach Britt said. "We are still pretty young, in the grand scheme of things, and we are still growing… but after a season like this, it lets me know we're definitely growing in the right direction."