Last weekend marked a huge stride forward in the island’s competitive gaming realm as Hawai’i Pacific University proudly hosted the Hawai’i Esports Invitational. Michigan State University and Stony Brook University made their way to O’ahu to participate in the collegiate Varsity Valorant tournament alongside Hawai’i Pacific University and the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Hundreds of people, including both players and fans, showed up to the action-filled event.
Along with the collegiate Valorant tournament, the event hosted the Zippy’s Cup, a high school Valorant tournament, as well as open competitions in Tetris, League of Legends, Madden 24, Apex Legends, Street Fighter, and Super Smash Bros. Run by local youth Esports league Vanta and sponsored by Zippy’s, the competition brought together players and fans from all over the island.
The star of the invitational was the collegiate Valorant tournament, in which the four top-notch collegiate teams competed for glory throughout the duration of the event. Michigan State University secured a solid win, beating Stony Brook University 2-0 in the finals. University of Hawai’i at Manoa managed to secure third place with Hawai’i Pacific University coming in fourth.
The invitational also held the Zippy’s Cup, which featured four of Hawaii’s best high school esports teams in a Valorant tournament. This showcase demonstrated what the rising Esports talents of Hawai’i have to offer, with Castle High School securing victory. This invitational represents an achievement in creating opportunities for Hawaii’s youths to participate and hone their Esports skills.
“The Hawai’i Esports Invitational was an exciting opportunity for UH Esports players to socialize, interact, and play with teams that we are usually not able to meet in a face-to-face setting.” Shared UH Esports Program Director Nyle Sky Kauweloa. “Given the relative isolation we have to many mainland colleges, UH Esports appreciates any efforts made to accommodate our students at UH.”
The realm of Esports in Hawai’i is only growing, with more opportunities for intercollegiate gaming being planned for 2025. As resources and opportunities for Hawai’i students grow, the global Esports scene can look forward to more participation from Hawai’i, both in gaming and professional roles.
ACM System is a major funder of UH Esports.
By Kathryn Ivanov & Sydney Kim
What a great article!