On September 23, 2016, UCI Esports opened its doors, becoming the first program of its kind at a public university.  Our broad program, built around our pillars of Competition, Research, Community, and Careers is result of bold thinking and strong collaboration among students, staff, faculty, and external partners.  UCI is a natural place for esports to emerge given our successful Game Design major, a thriving gaming community, and a history of elite competition.  Today, UCI Esports continues to lead the way, setting an example for educators everywhere who understand the power of connecting learning to passion.

Our varsity teams in League of Legends, Overwatch 2, and Valorant, strive to be the best collegiate teams in the world. We provide coaching and support staff necessary for our athletes compete at the highest levels while also enjoying the college lifestyle.  Our athletes receive fitness plans, meet with out team psychologist, and learn about topics vital to their health.   We have won national championships and major tournaments while earning a graduation rate of 94%, a number unmatched in college esports.

We believe that the gaming community is the beating heart of esports.  At UCI, we are luck to have thousands of students, staff, and faculty among our family of gamers.  The UCI gaming clubs are some of the largest and most active groups on campus.  To support future anteaters and those in the broader community, we produce great streams and contribute to the scholastic esports world via social channels, Discord, a newsletter, and out Twitch stream.  Our physical home, the UCI Esports Arena is the first public esports facility on a college campus.  Additionally, UCI Esports supports UCI’s inclusive excellence efforts.  We host camps, conversations, bystander trainings, and many other programs to make all gamers feel welcome.