Ogeechee Technical College’s Jacob Flannery, a manufacturing engineering technology student, earned the opportunity to compete in a recent statewide Georgia Esports League (GEL) virtual tournament.
GEL’s fall event “FALLHALLA!” was a Brawlhalla tournament series asking member schools to host a local tournament and then to send their top player to the virtual November bracket.
Brawlhalla is a platform fighter where players can choose from a list of over 50 fighters. The objective is to achieve victory by knocking opponents off the play stage.
Each school was tasked with holding their own tournament to find their top player, said Ethan Byrd, Georgia Esports League commissioner.
Kennesaw State University, Maroon Tiger Gaming (Morehouse College), Columbus State University, University of Georgia, Ogeechee Technical College, and Brewton-Parker College all held tournaments to find their player in October.
"The matches allowed the top winner from the individual college Brawlhalla competitions to compete, and then we reached out to other schools to put forward a representative so we could get as much school diversity in the tournament,” Byrd said in a news release.
OTC hosted their local Brawlhalla Fallhalla tournament in the JEK auditorium on Oct. 23. Winner Flannery took home a $50 credit to the OTC Bookstore and a chance to compete in the November virtual event.
“The opportunity that I had through Out To Conquer at Ogeechee Tech to compete in the GEL Fallhalla competition was eye-opening for me to see just how skilled everyone really is,” Flannery said.
“Not just the gamers, but also the broadcasters, production, casting and organization of the event.”
In its first GEL competition, Out To Conquer's Flannery demonstrated impressive skill and dedication. While the team did not achieve victory in this initial competition, Flannery gained valuable experience and insights that will be crucial to future success.
"We are incredibly proud to join the GEL and compete at the highest level of collegiate esports," said April Burkes, OTC’s data quality manager and advisor at the school's Out To Conquer gaming club.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for our students to test their skills against some of the best players in the state and gain valuable experience that will benefit them both in their personal and professional careers."
