Calling all gamers: ASU-wide tournament to run through spring semester
The ASU Esports Lounge, which is open to all students, has a variety of gaming consoles including computers, PlayStations and a Nintendo Switch. Photo courtesy of Anna Fiore
It’s a university-wide battle. Teamwork, quick thinking and strategy are necessary to win — the light-up keyboard is optional.
Student gamers across Arizona State University are invited to compete in ASU Combine, a video game tournament hosted by ASU and the world’s first multi-genre esports league, Ultimate Endgamers League. The competition will take place through the spring 2026 semester, with students earning leaderboard points across more than 40 video games and ultimately competing for scholarship prizes.
While esports tournaments have taken the gaming industry by storm in recent years, Connor Rawls — lead staff member for the ASU Esports Lounge in The GAME School — said the ASU Combine tournament is unique: It’s the first time the Ultimate Endgamers League has partnered with a university to offer a tournament. This puts ASU students in front of a big name in esports, with outstanding performers having the potential to be evaluated for professional contracts with the Ultimate Endgamers League.
This tournament is another example of ASU’s commitment to the video game industry, following the launch of its game design degree earlier this year. According to a report by the data platform Newzoo, the video game industry generated an estimated $187.7 billion in 2024.
Rawls said the tournament is a community-builder for students across all majors, locations and backgrounds.
“We've set up a Discord community for this event for everyone to connect, so we’re really operating from a ‘one-campus’ mentality,” Rawls said. “Wherever you happen to be, whoever you are, we’re all competing and having a good time here together. It’s true that everyone is competing against each other, but some of these games are teamwork-based. In the end, if you and a partner go on a crazy win streak, you both succeed.”
The first day of the tournament is Dec. 1, although students can continue to join after that date. All ASU students in good academic standing are eligible to sign up, with a $20 monthly fee.
Players will get points by submitting screenshots every two weeks of their “player card” in each qualifying game they play in their free time. At the end of the two-week period, they’ll be awarded points accordingly and ranked on a leaderboard. At the end of the spring semester, the top set of players based on leaderboard points will take part in the championship tournament for scholarship prizes.
The current prize pool is $10,000, to be split among the top four players, but that amount is set to double if more than 500 students join. Rawls said the tournament is fun — of course — but also challenges students to develop skills in new areas.
“Being good at just one game won’t win you any prizes,” he said. “Some games are heavy on teamwork and communication under stressful situations. Other games may involve more long-term strategic planning. And others rely more on your technical skills. The players who are going to be the most successful are the ones who have different hard and soft skills that benefit different genres.”
How to get in on the action
Visit the ASU Combine website to sign up for the tournament.
Want to compete but don’t have the equipment? Head to the Esports Lounge, University Gateway Building, room 315, 947 S. Mill Ave., Tempe. It's open noon–9 p.m. Mondays–Fridays.
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