After an extremely successful inaugural season in collegiate VALORANT, the Aurora Series has announced it will be expanding its game repertoire into Overwatch 2 for the upcoming Fall 2024 semester.
The Aurora Series, directed by Cora Kennedy, was founded in October 2023 with just a few students passionate about diversity and inclusivity in their esports environment. What started as a small team of students quickly blossomed into a large organization committed to creating spaces for marginalized genders in esports.
“It is all student run and almost everything you see is made by students, and that is something I am endlessly proud of,” Kennedy said.
Diversity has always been a critical struggle in esports. Kennedy and her team, composed almost entirely of college students, saw a way to answer the call with a league for VALORANT teams of marginalized genders.
However, they aren’t stopping there. In fact, Kennedy said, there is a desire for a league for the same purpose in Overwatch.
“I want Aurora Series to be a beacon in collegiate esports for all marginalized gender players to show them that they belong here, just the same as anyone else does.” said Kennedy, “I want Aurora Series to be the truly welcoming home that many previous students never had in esports.”
In the short term, Kennedy added, the series hopes to encourage more collegiate programs to build teams of players of marginalized gender, and include those players on their main teams and break the stereotype that esports is for males only.
So far, the series has been successful, even gaining a spot on the main stage at the CECC finals this past May for their VALORANT tournament, a huge milestone for the organization, Kennedy said.
Expansion into Overwatch
This new Overwatch league will begin in Fall 2024, aiming to build a bridge between collegiate players and the pre-existing ‘Calling All Heroes’ tournament that exists in the world of competitive Overwatch. This tournament currently spans both the professional and collegiate landscape, and provides a safe environment for all genders to compete.
Already, Kennedy remarked, the Aurora Series has seen a huge interest in participants since releasing their initial interest check.
With the announcement of this new chapter in the Aurora Series, players can also expect to see a change in format for its second season. Games will now be played in a seven-week round robin, before leading into a double elimination playoff bracket in the postseason.
“We are doing this to align more with schedules people are used to in collegiate and allow for some wiggle room in case of break times and holidays and such,” Kennedy clarified.
Kennedy and the Aurora series staff members say their viewers, supporters, and participants have much to expect going forward. They will be expanding to increase staffing, streams, stakes, and overall experience of the series. While they do expect struggles involving funding and sponsors, the team is optimistic of the direction of the series as it moves forward into the new season.
“We are blazing a trail and doing work that is the first of its kind and I am here to make sure it’s done right and done sustainably,” Kennedy said.
This debut into collegiate Overwatch is just beginning, but already promises to be a bright beacon for the collegiate esports world. For more College Esports News, keep an eye on our website.
