THE US SCENE

Over in the US, the High School Esports League has 15,000 students from a variety of schools competing in it, with the organisers expecting to hit 50,000 active players within a few years. The league was founded in 2012 by two students, Mason Mullenioux and Charles Reilly, who started it “as a hobby”, but have grown over the years into something with more structure. The organisers believe that High School Esports League fosters “a sense of belonging” among students, who face off in Counter-Stike: GO, Overwatch, League of Legends, and other games. “So far, all our conversations with the developers have been very positive,” they told me, “and we expect to see more meaningful support very soon.” It’s recognised as a co-curricular activity at some of the schools where it is played, and the students “are held to the same standards as traditional sports.” Their goal, ultimately, is to have esports recognised as a “legitimate varsity sport,” but for now just having it at all feels significant. Their staff has expanded to ten people, two of whom were, as of the last update on their staff page, only 17 – they’re spread out all over the country (and Canada), but are brought together by a passion for esports. They’re not alone either – the High School Starleague has been running since 2010, and involves over 1200 schools and 6000 students across the country. Other organisations exist in Europe and Asia too – it’s a fastgrowing global trend.