Esports

Formed in 2019, University of Waikato Esports was established to enhance Esports opportunities for students at the University of Waikato. The club is open to students and staff.  Catering to competitive and social players, the Club is based at the Esports Arena on our Hamilton campus.

Games: University of Waikato Esports provides members with access to many Esports games including League of Legends, Valorant, Fortnite, Overwatch and Rocket League.

Rates:  A & B trimester (up to 10 hours per week) - Free. 

Waikato is the first New Zealand university to develop a purpose-built Esports arena. The facility houses 12 high-tech OMEN gaming computers, a racing simulator and a console area and is used for training, competitions and socialising.

Students, staff and recent alumni can access the Esports Arena by becoming a University of Waikato Esports member. 

Location: The Station, 164 Hillcrest Road, Hamilton

Opening hours: See the Esports Facebook page. 

As Esports grows, so too have the work opportunities available. Below are some career opportunities through esports and how study at the University of Waikato can support these career pathways. For career development tools and support refer to University Career Development Services.

Caster - Good communication skills.

• Bachelor of Communication Studies
• Bachelor of Arts – performance and narrative

Analyst/Coach/Referee - Strategy generation, analyse player strengths and weaknesses, motivator.

• Bachelor of Health, Sport and Human Performance, sport development and coaching major

Content Creator/Journalist - Good communication, written and interview skills, creativity, video editing, social media management.

• Bachelor of Communication Studies
• Bachelor of Arts - Screen and Media Studies, media production (visual journalism),  e.g. paper MEDIA305 Interactive Media Design
• Bachelor of Design

Public Relations and Marketing - Brand positioning, marketing plans, sponsorship and relationship management. Social Media and fanbase management. Audiences Research and knowledge of Media consumption in 21st Century.

• Bachelor of Business
• Bachelor of Communication Studies
• Bachelor of Design, specifically the Communication Design Major
• Bachelor of Arts (Screen and Media Studies)

Event/Team Manager - Logistics, Excellent time management, organisational skills and attention to detail.

• Bachelor of Business
• Bachelor of Communication Studies

Game Developers - Developing an understanding of gameplay, game mechanics, mastery and skill, and rules systems.

• Bachelor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Paper COMPX536 Advanced Graphics and Computer Games
• Game Design paper MEDIA309 (NET) – T Semester
• Bachelor of Design (specifically the Media Design and Interaction Design Majors)

The University of Waikato has stands at Armageddon. Join our team of volunteers for the opportunity to help at these types of incredible events.

Volunteering provides a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable knowledge, meet new people and play a major role in delivering esports at the University of Waikato. We are seeking arena assistant volunteers to help run our esports presence on campus.

Waikato is seeking athletes for High performance esports teams to represent the University of Waikato. If you are a talented esports player, contact the Esports co-ordinator to express your interest in competing. We are currently looking for high elo League of Legends and Valorant players, but if you play any other esports at a high level we still want to hear from you.