Entertainment

On May 10th, RCC students and staff celebrated the grand opening of the new Esports Arena. A gaming tournament followed the ribbon cutting with staff, faculty, and students facing off against esports players in their own game: Rocket League. In addition to teamwork and comradery, the arena offers the opportunity for high-end gaming.

Esports was launched at RCC in the spring of 2021 and in their second season competing in the NJCAAE, the SUNY Rockland Hawks Rainbow Six team went undefeated with a record 8-0, which earned them the #1 seed going into the playoffs. Competing against schools from all over the country, the Hawks never dropped a game making them the undisputed team to beat.

“The team had been playing remotely, but now we have the ability for everyone to be in the same room using the same technology.” says Dylan Griffith, Esports Coach. “It is a great step forward in making this team the top team at RCC, but it is more than just a place to play games. Before students enter the real world, they will need to know how to work with others in stressful and sometimes very fast-paced environments. Being part of an esports team helps you learn how other people work and how to work with them in these similar environments. More importantly for our students, esports is a place for like-minded individuals to come together and do what they love, which is game.”

For more information on Esports at RCC please visit https://rcchawks.com/sports/esports/index.