Luke Potwarka, Associate Professor in Recreation and Leisure Studies and Director of the Spectator Experience and Technology (SEAT) Lab, is working with a collaboration between University of Waterloo and the University of Warwick (United Kingdom), meeting with representatives from both schools in various roles from Athletics and Recreation to the Innovation Group and the School for Cross-faculty Studies at Warwick.
These meetings have focused on ways that Esports can contribute positively to student experiences, student learning, research impact, and community development in higher education.
This is an exciting time for Esports globally. Recently, it was announced that Esports will be a pilot event during the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. The popularity of Esports is growing rapidly and Waterloo and Warwick colleagues are excited to begin discussions about how to develop campus-wide Esports strategies.
As the Director of the SEAT Lab, Potwarka is currently working with graduate students and Warwick colleagues to mobilize research that examines motivations and experiences of Esports Spectators. The knowledge gleaned from this work should illuminate ways in which event managers can design meaningful and inclusive spectator experiences.
According to Potwarka, “The University of Waterloo is uniquely positioned to embed Esports in our learning/teaching, research, and student experience environments, and we can learn much from working with our Warwick colleagues.”
What is the future of recreational and competitive Esports? The sky is the limit with international leaders at the University of Waterloo and the University of Warwick working together to explore ways their ESports communities can be enriched by trans-Atlantic international collaborations.