PlayVS Adds Recreational Esports and Overwatch to Play Roster -- THE Journal

Breaking News

PlayVS Adds Recreational Esports and Overwatch to Play Roster

By Dian Schaffhauser
07/28/20

Esports company PlayVS is introducing a two-league system to high school play: varsity, which it's already had, and recreational, which is new. It's also adding Overwatch to its offerings for high school gaming.

Varsity leagues will continue to be run in partnership with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in 23 states. Currently, schools in those states can play Rocket League and League of Legends as varsity esports, with one team per game per school. Students in the varsity league compete against teams state-wide for state championships. State championship games are typically played before a live audience and streamed on the NFHS Network. The two organizations said that additional games would be added in the future.

PlayVS Adds Recreational Esports and Overwatch to Play Roster

Source: PlayVS

The new recreational leagues are available in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia. Those are operated solely by PlayVS. Participating schools can have an unlimited number of teams, all of which can compete in regional championships in Overwatch, League of Legends, Fortnite, SMITE and Rocket League.

PlayVS said it expected most schools would choose to have teams in both types of leagues.

The addition of Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch will allow high schoolers to register to compete in recreational leagues for this online game starting in the fall. Teams will have up of six players. Top teams at the end of the season will advance to playoffs. The fall season begins on Oct. 15, 2020, and games will take place on Wednesdays.

"Esports is at a pivotal moment as its popularity is growing exponentially, especially as students need creative, productive and competitive outlets during COVID-19," said Delane Parnell, CEO of PlayVS, in a press release. "We're thrilled to be expanding our high school offerings so that students can participate and compete in esports at multiple levels. Our team is also excited to welcome new and returning players this fall, whether from their schools or at home. Either way, we're ready for them!"

High schools can sign up and activate teams at PlayVS.com

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

CoSN: 3 Principles that Should Guide Screen Time Policies in Schools

CoSN, the professional association for K-12 education technology leaders, has released new guidance to help schools navigate the screen time debate and develop technology policies that protect students while supporting learning.
Stop Asking Whether Students Can Use AI

As generative AI has become embedded in the tools students use to search, write, create, translate, organize, and receive feedback, the boundary between "using AI" and "not using AI" has become increasingly difficult to define. More importantly, treating AI use as a binary choice does little to help students understand the different roles AI can appropriately play in learning.
5 Lessons Video Game Designers Can Teach Educators About Learning

Video game designers spend an enormous amount of time studying what keeps people engaged when something becomes difficult. They have become very good at helping people persist. Schools should pay attention.
What Is the Education Freedom Tax Credit and How Will It Work?

The federal Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC) is a new source of funding for education that could benefit 90% of students in states that have opted in to the program. However, some confusion and misconceptions exist surrounding details of the program, including which programs may qualify, how parents can apply for scholarships, and how public school students can benefit.