May 31st, 2024. Dallas, Texas. The air is sticky with summer humidity, and an almost tangible electricity vibrates in the air. At the Kay Bailey Convention Center, DreamHack Dallas is in full swing, as thousands of gamers gather for one of the most anticipated weekends of the year.
However, just down the street at the GG EZ Gaming Café, the heat is only rising, as eight of the best collegiate Omega Strikers teams gather to determine who will reign victorious over the rest.
The Collegiate Corestrike League (CCL) Dallas Major is in full swing.
The Teams
Just a few weeks after the end of the CCL Regular Season, the Dallas Major arrived to give collegiate Omega Strikers players another chance to earn a national title. The competitors consisted of teams and players from the following schools:
- George Mason University
- St. Louis University
- Lakeland University
- University of Texas at Dallas
- The New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Fanshawe College
- University of Colorado at Boulder
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- Nelson University
- Grand Canyon University.
That’s a lot of competition, and they all wanted one thing: gold.
In one row of plush recliner chairs sits Lakeland, favorites in the CCL scene for the past few semesters. They took home first place in the Fall 2023 season but came up second to UCLA in the Spring 2024 grand finals. Still fan favorites, however, they arrived in Dallas to return to the top of the pack.
In another row is SLU, hungry for a victory after a heartbreaking loss in April. After a stunning undefeated season, they fell to their long-time rivals, GMU, who overtook them to snatch third place in the end.
Those aforementioned rivals are also in the arena, poised for victory, hoping to maintain their momentum after defeating SLU, and bring home GMU’s first Omega Strikers title.
There’s a thick tension in the air as the top eight teams battle once more on the pitch in a double elimination bracket. They compete for a trophy, $300 in prize money, and new gaming gear sponsored by tech giants, Intel and gifts from Razer. Two of these teams, Glitchwitch Gunslingers and T.A.L.L.B.O.I.S. were made of players from multiple schools, coming together for the first time to make history.
The Competition
After the first day, only four teams remained. Fanshawe Fuel fell early to UTD, NJIT lost 0-2 against SLU, and Glitchwitch Gunslingers and T.A.L.L.B.O.I.S. lost to Lakeland and GMU respectively. The lower bracket saw a dire battle to stay alive, but in the end, UTD, Fanshawe, Glitchwitch, and T.A.L.L.B.O.I.S. were sent home.
Those remaining teams were no strangers to the final stage, but after hard fought battles, only one could reign victorious. The final standings for the Collegiate Corestrike League Dallas Major were as follows:
- 1st Place: St. Louis University
- 2nd Place: Lakeland University
- 3rd Place: George Mason University
- 4th Place: New Jersey Institute of Technology
“I definitely could’ve seen us place higher but it just shows I have more to work on,” said Anthony ‘Spartan’ Zinni, captain and goalie for GMU Esports. “Overall, I’m not mad with our placements but just means our goals for the next LAN or tournament would be to place higher and take a number one spot as a team!”
As for the champions, this win was a bright cap for their season.
“I am incredibly proud of the team for our final placement,” said Tavin ‘trademark’ Matiszik, captain of the SLU Omega Strikers team. “We came into the event as the 5th seed, as we had an unfortunate early exit in CCL Spring Playoffs…I think that this lack of pressure to meet certain expectations helped our team to relax and not get nerves that we have gotten in the past.”
This win was also a perfect ending to Matiszik’s Omega Strikers story that started with the SLU and Lakeland rivalry.
When Omega Strikers first debuted, Shenandoah University hosted a small LAN for some of the emerging collegiate teams. This was the first time that SLU and Lakeland faced off, with SLU beating the Muskies in pools, but falling to them in the grand finals. Now, a recent graduate of St. Louis University, Matiszik is ready to pass the torch to a rising Omega Strikers star and end his time at SLU with a triumphant defeat over Lakeland.
The Impact
However, that is not the only hat that Matiszik wears, as he is also a founder of the CCL itself. He intends to stay on as commissioner of the league and has bright plans for the organization’s future.
“There are a lot of exciting things coming down the pipeline for the CCL this summer before our Fall season. We plan to revamp our discord to make it more accessible, edit the rulebook to add more clarity for any rules infractions/consequences, and work with our new partners at ECAC to reach out to their member schools about why and how to join our community in the Fall. Keep an eye out on our discord server/twitter for more updates.”
To see the impact that this season’s CCL had on its competitors, it’s hard to find someone who wasn’t thankful for the experience. Many teams have also committed to returning to the CCL, including GMU and Lakeland.
“All of us can say it was a blast being able to meet up with most of the community and put a face to the people we talk to so much online,” said E T Han, of Lakeland University Omega Strikers. “A lot of the players grouped up in an AirBNB together, and we spent most of the nights hanging out and having fun, meaning we lost some sleep and it was hard to get going for the tournament in the mornings, but it was worth it.”
The CCL is now preparing to open registrations for their next season. With this amazing tournament in the past, it’s now time to look towards the bright future of the league, and we eagerly await what comes next.
