Two Northwood Esports players triumphed in professional/semi-professional tournaments over the weekend.
Diego “Vega” Moran, for Fort Worth, Texas, won Stage 1 of the North American Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS). OWCS is the main professional league for Overwatch esports. Moran is under contract with the Toronto Defiant professional Overwatch team.
“Going into the tournament, we were confident we were going to win it all,” Moran stated. “Everyone had high expectations for us, and I’m happy we were able to prove them right. Our dominance through this tournament makes me pretty confident that we can win it all at the end of the year.”
Dakota “Dak” Morr, of Freeland, won the Call of Duty Challengers Miami Open. Call of Duty Challengers is the global path to the professional circuit for the Call of Duty League, and the Miami Open is a major in-person Call of Duty Challengers tournament.
“Throughout my Call of Duty career, I have consistently placed well but have always ended just short of winning it all,” Morr stated. “I’m happy that I wasn’t the disappointed one with my hands on my head when this tournament was over — especially since we took the series back with a reverse sweep.”
Esports is an umbrella for numerous competitive games, similar to a university’s athletics department serving as an umbrella for numerous traditional sports. So Call of Duty and Overwatch are to an esports program what football and basketball are to a university’s athletics program.
“We couldn’t be happier for both Dakota and Diego,” stated Assistant Coach Aden Frosch. “The Miami Open is just one major tournament across the entire Call of Duty Challengers circuit. But with Dakota winning — and being considered the tournament MVP — I wouldn’t be surprised if teams in the Call of Duty League start looking at him to sign a professional contract. As for Diego, I knew his team was going to win this stage of the Overwatch Championship Series. He’s a talented player, and I’m excited to see what the future brings for him, especially as they start to qualify and compete in the offline events in Dallas, Texas and Stockholm, Sweden.”
With multiple world and national championships, as well as a number of players who signed to play professionally, Northwood Esports is a powerhouse in the world of collegiate esports. For more information, visit https://esports.northwood.edu/
