One of the best ways to meet like-minded people in a university is through extracurricular activities. In clubs, old or new, that strong core team lays your foundation for the year.

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UP Esports Varsity Team is JR Beo’s brainchild he had pitched to the UP Office of Athletics and Sports Development (OASD.) Now the UP EVT Esports Director, he is joined by Zoe Soliva, the 2024 AcadArena Awards Rookie Leader of the Year, as the UP EVT General Secretary, and Aed Balayon, the UP EVT Marketing Head. 

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The three met by joining Oblation Esports (OBE), the esports arm of University of the Philippines Gaming Guild (UPGG). UP-Diliman’s gaming ecosystem has become one of the most diverse campus gaming and esports communities in the AcadArena Alliance, the student club support system of AcadArena Edu.

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Oblation Esports is part of the pioneering ten of the Alliance program in 2020. Since then more communities and orgs followed, there is now Maroon Esports, UPOU Esports and now, UP Esports Varsity Team. 

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With the growing and unique demand of events and programs specific to esports, the creation of the UP EVT became a welcome need in UP-Diliman. The other clubs and communities are more focused on casual and social gaming. 

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“As the only state university in the entire UAAP, we have less budget to work with—and that came with logistical challenges–but we maximized what we had,” Beo shared. “We are also the newest varsity team in UP, independent of any prior org.”

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After this UAAP season, UP EVT plans to expand their operations and scope to the greater UP community. 

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As esports become more accepted on campuses, we will see more such variance in gaming communities under different departments and offices. One thing is for sure, there is no shortage of talent in UP-Diliman.