Penn College’s Fortnite Team Was Projected to Win DreamHack Championship Before the Setback of COVID-19
Pennsylvania College of Technology’s first esports season took a turn for the unexpected, after being projected to earn a championship in Fortnite.
Although COVID-19 ended their gaming season prematurely, Joshua Young, coach of Penn College of Technology’s esports program has kept an optimistic view on the matter.
Young spent many late nights and weekends putting together the esports Wildcat Den, which includes 14 high-end gaming computers for competition along with a streaming station made accessible for viewers online. The esports collegiate program at Penn College was financed and funded with the help of a state grant for new initiatives. Like other competitive esports leagues, the Penn College program operates through the National Association of Collegiate Esports. This nonprofit association began in 2016 with six schools and now has more than 170 members along with more than 5,000 players who compete for $16 million in the form of esports scholarships and aid.
Coach Joshua Young stated, “You will see pretty much every collegiate campus have some level of esports.”
Penn College has 44 players, 28 whom are starters. The program competes in games such as Rocket League, League of Legends, Smite, Apex Legends, Overwatch, Hearthstone, Fortnite, and iRacing. Their members come from all over Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Penn College’s Fortnite team (Tyler Colangelo, of New Castle, Delaware, and Brendan Martin, of Lebanon, New Jersey) had quite the support system behind them. The duo team was projected to make it to finals at DreamHack in Atlanta, Georgia, at the end of April, and furthermore, had incredibly high chances of winning. DreamHack Atlanta is said to offer an overall prize of $25,000 fro the Fortnite championship according to Joshua Young.
With the optimism and encouragement of their coach, the Penn College esports team will continue working together and training over the summer in preparation for the fall semester.
What Is DreamHack Atlanta?
DreamHack Atlanta is a three-day event with everything gaming under one roof. Featuring all the core content you’ve come to expect of a DreamHack festival, plus many more new activities that fit your way of life.
