We’re coming to the end of another successful semester for Butler University’s esports programs – read all about what we were able to do this fall as we look ahead to the spring!
The Fall 2021 semester kicked off with a bang with the announcement of plans for the Butler Esports Park, a 7,500-square-foot esports arena and practice space on the first level of the Sunset Avenue parking garage, slated to open in the fall of 2022. We were able to send a team to a LAN tournament for the second time in school history, we brought back several Butler and club alumni to speak to current students and a campus event, we held the second annual Battle for Indiana collegiate tournament, and Nathan Duke was hired as Butler’s new Manager of Esports Programs and Facility Operations!
Call of Duty – Our Call of Duty team started a bit of competition in December, playing some matches in the CXP league as preparation for the CCL regular season to come this spring!
Hearthstone – This semester, Butler fielded two Hearthstone teams in Blizzard’s Hearthstone Collegiate Masters: United in Stormwind tournament. Blue finished 3-5, and White 2-6, both placing in the top 150 of participating teams for the event!
League of Legends – The League of Legends Blue team participated in the NACE Starleague JV division this semester and went 3-3 in the regular season. Our White team played in the NECC this fall, and after a 2-2 preseason, were placed in the Emergents Yellow division. The team went 2-6 in the regular season and qualified to a top 8 finish in their division after the postseason. A combined Blue/White roster also participated in this year’s Battle for Indiana tournament, qualifying for the Tournament Weekend and placing fourth in the state of Indiana!
Madden – In a Butler University first, we had a student, Kyle Sternberg, participate on Butler’s behalf in the LevelNext Madden National Championship tournament! Despite losses to Central Michigan University and Wayne State College, this was a great start for Butler into developing a Madden program, and we look forward to more in the future.
Overwatch – This was easily the biggest semester yet for Butler Overwatch! First, the Blue team qualified for the NECC Challengers Yellow division, where the team went 6-1 in the regular season and secured the #1 seed in the playoffs. A six-map heartbreaker loss in the semifinals to eventual champions Southern MS earned Butler a top 4 finish in the division. Butler fielded a Blue and White team in this year’s Battle for Indiana, who placed 5th and 6th, respectively, just narrowly missing qualifiers for the Tournament Weekend.
Additionally, this fall brought the opportunity for the Bulldogs to travel to South Bend, Indiana, to compete at the CENC Midwest Regional Qualifier LAN tournament, held at Bethel University’s home of Bendix Arena, in Butler’s second-ever esports LAN appearance. Your Bulldogs took on the best collegiate Overwatch team in North America in the first round and exited the tournament after the second, but it was an amazing experience that we hope to see more and more of as time goes on!
Racing – Also making its Butler esports debut was our group of racing game players! The team competed in the iRacing Suzuka 10-hour event in November, placing 24th out of a 43-car field. We’ve enjoyed the chance this semester to step into the world of sim racing, including investing in some hardware for the Atherton Esports & Gaming Center, and making alumni connections in the world of software as well.
Rainbow Six – Our Rainbow Six: Siege team returned to two familiar leagues this semester – the CR6 league, in which Butler played for two short seasons and qualified for its postseason for the first time in school history, and the NECC, where the Bulldogs worked to defend a spring semester Challengers title. Butler was placed into the NECC Champions league, went 3-3 in the regular season, and completed the semester with a top 8 finish in the division.
Rocket League – When not playing BIG EAST matches, our Rocket League Blue team went 2-2 in two different CRL qualifier attempts this semester and played in the NACE Starleague Challengers division, in which they finished the regular season with a 4-2 record and made a long lower-bracket run to the top 8 of the division in the postseason. In the Battle for Indiana, the Blue team went 5-1 in the group stage and placed 4th in the state after the Tournament Weekend, with the White team going 1-6 and earning 7th in their division.
Smash – Butler’s Smash Ultimate group, always large and active, held three open tournaments this semester on campus, and look to continue into the spring; they’ll be participating in the BIG EAST/MAAC Challenge in January.
Valorant – Bulldog Valorant competed in the NECC this fall and were placed in the Champions Yellow division. A 4-4 regular season record qualified them for playoffs, where they finished in the top 8. Additionally, Butler played in the Battle for Indiana, going 2-5 in the group stage to earn 7th place overall.
BIG EAST League of Legends – Just like last year, the BIG EAST held a conference season this fall, in which the Bulldogs went 5-3 in the regular season to earn a #3 seed in the tournament. Butler was pitted against DePaul, who took the first-round win, and the Bulldogs earned a top-4 finish in the conference for the second time in a row.
BIG EAST Rocket League – Bulldog Rocket League returned to compete in the EGFC Season 3 tournament, finishing the fall semester with a 5-3 record – both BIG EAST conference and non-conference matches will continue in the spring. In the Rocket League portion of the BIG EAST/MAAC Challenge, Butler lost a close series to Fairfield University, but the BIG EAST overall came away with the win.
This spring, we’ll be launching our Call of Duty: Vanguard team for the next season of the College Call of Duty League, as well as hopefully finding competition spaces for our teams in Apex Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Fortnite. We’re looking to bring back our annual Extra Life charity stream as well, and before you know it, it’ll be time for officer elections for next year’s leadership board!
Thank you for following Butler University’s esports teams this semester. To stay up-to-date, check out our social media links here, and keep watch for more to come!
