COLLEGE PARK, MD — On October 26, the University of Maryland hosted its annual Technica hackathon- highlighting women in tech and coding. This year, Technica ventured into a new area of tech: esports.
Hosted at the Armory in the heart of the College Park campus, Technica welcomed over 800 participants, establishing itself as the world’s largest hackathon for underrepresented genders in tech.
Technica saw a new addition to their lineup of keynote speakers and panelists for the weekend— members of the University of Maryland and University of Delaware Game Changers VALORANT teams.
The two teams represent the Game Changers branch of competitive VALORANT, created by Riot Games in 2021 as a tournament for teams composed of women and those of marginalized gender identities.
What originally started as a division of top-tier competitive VALORANT quickly bled into the collegiate scene. With leagues such as NECC and the Aurora Series picking up diverse tournaments, Game Changers teams across the country have appeared, providing opportunities for college students of underrepresented identities to find their competitive homes.
As a homage to women and non-binary representation in tech, Technica this year brought esports to the table, showing what women developers can create and also participate in. The move is an effort to continue breaking down the stereotype that gaming, much like tech, is a man’s world. The team at UMD put on a showmatch between the varsity Game Changers teams from both Maryland and Delaware, followed by a panel where team members shared their experiences as competitive esports athletes.
Meet the Teams
The team from Maryland included:
- Saanvi ‘Savanii’ Attal
- Soomin ‘Carrots’ Kim
- Sophia ‘Soap’ Li
- Laura ‘davieJones’ Zheng
- Tracy ‘Trace’ Vu (CAPTAIN)
The team from Delaware consisted of:
- Cassidy ‘gong’ Craft
- Jordan ‘jade’ Reeder
- Selin ‘singularity’ Yilmaz
- Sylv ‘Sylv’ Chen
- Kaitlyn ‘Kaitwyn’ Huynh (CAPTAIN)
Maryland and Delaware Game Changers Showmatch
Students from across the country gathered in Thurgood Marshall Hall to watch the teams duel across three maps, guided by casters representing each school. Lina ‘Cayloalina’ represented the University of Delaware, while Alex ‘Goomy’ casted on behalf of their home school of Maryland.
The two teams used this showmatch as an opportunity not only to compete but also to build community between the two teams.
The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, with players bringing stuffed animals to their monitors and drawing VALORANT characters on the whiteboards behind them. In between maps, the players would flock to the middle of the room to interact as one group— not as rivals. It showed a level of comradery that brought out a different side of esports and highlighted the impact that Game Changers has on students.
While esports is competitive by definition, there is still a clear community aspect that unites players from different backgrounds. Tournaments for women and marginalized genders only bolster this idea, as those gamers also seek the same level of community that esports provides. This match, although only for a day, provided these two schools with an opportunity that many others may not get.
As for the showmatch itself, the teams jointly decided on the maps. They chose what most people would consider to be “the worst maps in the game” (Fracture, Pearl, and Breeze) in hopes of proving that this showmatch was about having fun and growing together, rather than being a competitive war.
After almost three hours of gameplay, having to face off in a map three decide, the Terps brought home a victory!
A Panel on Women in Esports
Following the matches, the teams spoke to Technica attendees about the future of women and marginalized gender players in esports. Players Trace and Carrot represented UMD while captain Kaitwyn and Blue Hens VALORANT team member Emilie ‘kelp’ Barniak spoke on behalf of the University of Delaware.
Both schools cited leagues such as the Aurora Series and NECC as great outlets for building women’s participation and comfort in esports.
“In regular competitive games, I have a tendency to actually try to hide as much as possible that I’m a female on the team,” said Carrots of UMD. “It’s really nice to be in an environment where I don’t have to do that.”
“Being on a team with a bunch of other girls makes it easier for me to play more games as well,” added Kaitwyn, “being able to duo queue with one of my female friends just makes it less scary.”
Making these friends, all panelists agreed, is one way that esports helps with health and wellness. It pushes them to get out and interact with others, instead of feeling trapped behind a screen. They said that their mental health and day-to-day lives were improved by being on a team.
“Gaming allows me to plan out my day,” said Trace, “It helps me stay organized. But also the esports community in general is a big group of friends.”
The panel also weighed in on the necessity for Game Changers as well, responding to feedback that Riot has received about the importance of the series.
“When you’re watching pro play, normally it’s all these guys,” said Kelp, “but I think it’s really important for women to see other women succeed to that level. I think [Game Changers] will always be needed for current players and also new players.”
“Until the day where people–no matter your gender–get equal opportunities and equal treatment in games, it’s going to be needed,” Carrots agreed.
To close out their discussion on the future of women in esports, the panelists each gave a piece of advice to other women and those of marginalized genders who are looking to follow in their footsteps.
Trace said “As long as you keep playing… you can make it into esports. Never give up.”
“I think the biggest thing is actually reaching out,” advised Carrots, “finding a community and taking that first step; trying to get into a program.” She added that so many people don’t know that their colleges have an esports program, but once they get in contact it can be life-changing.
Kelp agreed, “Take the leap!” She joined her team because of a flyer in her student union that sparked her interest in competitive esports. She says that others shouldn’t be afraid to get involved as well. “I started literally Iron One,” she joked, “so being able to work up and take that leap… just do it!”
Kaitwyn emphasized not being afraid to play competitively.
“Even in ranked… play what you want to play, and know that you’re good at it! If you’re scared, do you!”
The teams additionally thanked their managers, coaches, substitutes, and program directors before the sun set over Technica for the day.
Game Changers VALORANT in college has made a major impact on students in not only these colleges but schools nationwide. This weekend highlighted the strong impact that its presence has had on just two collegiate programs and is showcasing the impact that it has already had on university-level esports as a whole.
