Cultural Cup 2021

It's relatively easy to convince a bunch of people who usually don't participate in video game tournaments to play in a video game tournament when they're not allowed to do anything else.

That was basically how Cultural Cup successfully happened in 2021. Usually spring quarter for Cal Poly means outdoor activities like bonfires, hikes, intermural sports, etc. When a pandemic is raging full force those activities are no longer options. Esports was one of the only ways to interact with people, and you bet your ass I capitalized on that.

Valorant had just dropped the year before and that was the new, hot game to play on campus. The LOL viewership and player signups were dramatically reduced compared to the previous year while Valorant soared beyond what anyone could have anticipated.

The storylines for some of the Valorant teams were also way more engaging and I was getting the hang of working and building on them. Producing, casting, and observing made focusing and honing my skills on just one of those three things difficult, but it was a great way to familiarize myself with broadcasting a genre other than MOBAs.

I am forever grateful to the cultural club members who volunteered their time to this event. It was so refreshing and exciting to see so many new faces be able to stay in touch via esports.