Today’s show talks about the rise of collegiate eSports teams, and the corresponding rise in interest from both players and the various universities and colleges. Additionally, how young is too young to become a professional gamer, and with the signing of Overwatch League’s first female pro soon to be finalized, is there undue pressure on her to perform well?

In the past, gaming in universities was something driven by the players, for the players, but now with the advent of collegiate leagues, universities are finding ways to appeal to students, to better keep them engaged. The panel discusses how the perception of eSports is viewed by various stakeholders, like parents, as well as what players can gain from collegiate leagues.

The panel moves to discuss what skills are considered important for a perspective pro player, and how they can best utilize their time at university. For the universities themselves, discussion is given on to how they have changed policies regarding esports, and how they can change further to better help their students.

The topic moves to the ability of esports to compete with traditional sports, and ways in which the collegiate esports can be more or less attractive to perspective players. Additionally, the panel talks about the ability for esports to become a mainstay of college life, and whether universities should look into restrictions on players, similar to those of traditional sports.

The panel then turns to discuss how the publishers of games have an effect on the collegiate scene, as well as barriers that are faced when trying to promote collegiate tournaments. Do the publishers have too much of a say in the day to day operations of collegiate eSports, or do the universities need to establish who has the rights to on-campus events?

Many students return to college after some time away. This has led to the consideration of whether or not returning students have a place in the esports scene, as well as the challenges of starting up college leagues in regions where regular professional play is not held. The panel discusses whether it is feasible to support college teams, much like in traditional sports.

One major concern of esports is that younger and younger players are being recruited into pro teams. Do younger players have an advantage over more experienced competitors? The panel discusses the merits of starting young as a pro, as well as how some pro players choose to focus on the game first, or life first.

Finally, the topic switches to the anticipated signing of the first female pro Overwatch player, Kim "Geguri" Se-yeon, and the expectations placed upon her. The panel discusses whether it is better to join a team that is doing well, or a team that may need help, as well as whether teams are encouraged to develop their own new talent or wait for it to grow naturally.

The show has finished for the day, but you can catch the entire discussion in the video above. You can also catch up on the previous episode on how developers bridge the gap between Japanese and Western games.