The 2023/24 Ireland Esports Collegiate Challenge is officially set to take place this Saturday 14 September from 11:30am, with TU Dublin and SETU confirmed as the two teams vying for the All-Island Collegiate Esports title. This highly anticipated event will also mark a significant milestone as TU Dublin takes on the role of host at their Grangegorman Campus, bringing this showpiece LAN event on the road for the first time.
Having secured the top spot on the 2023/24 Collegiate Challenge leaderboard, TU Dublin has earned the right to host this exciting showdown. The university will enjoy 'home ground' advantage as they prepare to face off against SETU, who finished second on the leaderboard. Points for the leaderboard were accrued by one nominated team per game title across the Winter then Spring Semesters, highlighting the competitive spirit and skill showcased throughout the season.
The Collegiate Challenge will feature an intense lineup of best of one matches across Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends and Valorant with a best of five for Rocket League. The event's move from May to September was strategically planned to align with students returning from summer holidays, positioning this flagship in-person event in the lead up to the 2024/25 Ireland Esports Collegiate Series which kicks off in October.
David ‘Arcane’ Corcoran, President of the TU Dublin Esports Society, expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to host the event: “We're thrilled to host the 2023/24 Collegiate Challenge. Irish LAN events can be few and far between, so we're delighted to play our part in making this happen. This event is an ambitious step in our journey towards being a leading force in Irish collegiate esports, and is our chance to create an unforgettable experience for all involved.”
Kurt Pittman, Founder & CEO of Nativz Gaming, added, “taking this marquee in-person LAN event to TU Dublin is a significant step forward in the evolution of Ireland's collegiate esports series. It not only creates more value for the community, and our partners, but also underscores our commitment to delivering in-person events which are critical to growing esports.”
This will be the second Collegiate Challenge event following a pilot held as part of GamerFest at the RDS in May 2023. TU Dublin were the victors on that occasion, which included a series games in Rocket League and Valorant. Expanding to four of our six titles will give even more players the chance to represent their university and prove themselves as the best in the country.
Will TU Dublin's reign continue or will SETU seize the crown?
Each of the participating Universities have an allocation of tickets to the event and are issuing these through their respective Esports Societies. Anyone not connected to the competing teams is welcome to join the waitlist online here for this free of charge event.
