eSPORTS LAB

Steve Martin ’83 has been involved in video game development for the past three decades. As the recently retired President and Studio Head of Firaxis Games, he oversaw the release of more than 30 games. He and his wife, Lisa, see eSports as an avenue for students to pursue and demonstrate creative and intellectual excellence. As society continues to evolve digitally and virtually, the Martins saw this as an opportunity to seize the moment during the Hall 175 Capital Campaign to support and expand the creation of our eSports Lab.

The 1,300 square foot modern space features 23 PC gaming stations, four console stations (three Switches and one PlayStation), seven - 65” televisions, and one - 85” interactive television for classroom instruction as well as use as a whiteboard for the Varsity eSports team to work on game strategy. There is a projection area for classroom use as well. The space will also be home to our Cybersecurity team. Calvert Hall has its own YouTube subchannel (@CHCeGames) as part of the main school YouTube channel (@calverthallcollege).

The eSports industry has a 532-million-person audience generating $1.38B in revenue with a 14.5% growth year over year*. The National Association of Collegiate eSports (NACE) boasts more than 260 schools and 5,000 student-athletes. Students can earn college scholarships through eSports ranging from $500 to $10,000 per semester **. Some schools, like Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, offer 22 full-rides each year.

*NewZoo, March 2023

**United States Academic Esports League, March 2024