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UH Esports Hosts First Ever Collegiate Tournament

The University of Hawai’i Esports Program hosted its very first Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament, with participants from UH Manoa, the University of Guam, Northern Marianas College, and Brigham Young University-Hawaii. This event marked a huge milestone for Esports and the UHEsports program as this event was the first-ever Pan-Pacific Collegiate tournament.

A total of eight collegiate teams competed in the Aloha Collegiate Cup tournament this past weekend, with two UH Manoa teams coming in first and second place, and Brigham Young University-Hawaii coming in third. UHE X took the championship title, winning over UHE Y with a 4-3 score. The winning team consisted of Alison Chuang, Van Rimando, Adann Juven Coloma, Angela Lestelle Martinez, Ryan Schofield, and Alexander Walker.

UHE X Team (Photo credit: Kathryn Ivanov)

“This tournament marks a crucial milestone for the direction of the program.” shared UH Manoa Esports Program Director Nyle Sky Kauweloa. “My focus on supporting underserved and marginalized communities is at the forefront of almost everything I do as a director. Launching our first tournament around MLBB is intended to serve as a bridge in closing the gap on issues accessibility and the various issues around the various dividies [such as] digital, social, and community in college esports.” 

The ACC tournament was a collaborative effort amongst colleges in the South Pacific, and UH Esports intends to grow the Aloha Collegiate Cup into an event that spans an even larger number of schools in the Pacific.

According to data from Esports Charts, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is the third most popular Esports game in terms of peak viewership. The game generates more viewers than games such as VALORANT and CS:GO, with the regional tournament for the Southeast Asia region reaching more than 3.6 million peak viewers in 2023. 

UHE X Moments After Victory (Photo credit: Kathryn Ivanov)

“My hope is that the Aloha Collegiate Cup grows into an event that spans an even larger number of schools in the South Pacific and Asia that often don’t get the chance to interact or compete with each other.” said Nyle Sky Kauweloa.

ACM is a major funder of UH Esports.

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