Cal State Fullerton’s Titan team represented the Big West in the final round of the first Collegiate Esports Invitational, against America East’s University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC). The Titans — Javier “Crysmah” Diaz and James “jripsy” Velazquez — finished second in the competition featuring Fortnite. The finalists had all won their respective conference tournaments on May 22.
Produced by GCN, Inc. (Gaming Community Network), part of the GameSquare Esports group of companies, is an independent media group dedicated gaming and esports, and Van Wagner, the Collegiate Esports Invitational series, billed as “Where Conference Champions Are Crowned,” is the first major collegiate esports event that brings 110 colleges and universities together across disparate conferences to compete to become a national champion.
The 10 conference tournaments and championship were streamed live on twitch.tv/CollegiateEsportsInv and garnered more than 651,000 live views. During the championship tournament, more than 256,000 unique viewers tuned in. The tournament also was carried by GCN across more than 85 gaming and esports centric websites where GCN reaches more than 65 million monthly unique views in the United States.
Drexel University knocked off Santa Clara University to finish in third place.
“I knew I could win even being down a player, but got unlucky,” said Cal State Fullerton competitor Velazquez. “I gave it everything I had, and my teammate also came in clutch many times.”
The championship winner snagged the $5,000 first prize as well as Razer products including keyboards, mice and headsets.
About Cal State Fullerton: The largest university in the CSU and the only campus in Orange County, Cal State Fullerton offers 110 degree programs, and Division 1 athletics. Recognized as a national model for supporting student success, CSUF excels with innovative, high-impact educational practices, including faculty-student collaborative research, study abroad and competitive internships. Our vibrant and diverse campus is a primary driver of workforce and economic development in the region. CSUF is a top public university known for its success in supporting first-generation and underrepresented students, and preparing all students to become leaders in the global marketplace. Our It Takes a Titan campaign, a five-year $200 million comprehensive fundraising initiative, prioritizes investments in academic innovation, student empowerment, campus transformation and community enrichment. Visit fullerton.edu.