UTA’s Heroes of the Dorm team takes on Las Vegas
UTA ESports, UTA’s competitive gaming student organization, will be representing UTA in Las Vegas as members compete for the ultimate “Heroes of the Dorm” title. The month-long March Madness style tournament culminates this Saturday, April 8 as UTA takes on UC Irvine at 1 p.m. PT in the Heroic Four. The winner will go on to battle either LSU or Kentucky in the Grand Finals.
Join UTA Esports for a watch party on campus or watch the action live online with Blizzard.
Check out our Q&A with the team and get to know your fellow Mavericks before cheering them on this weekend!
Eugene ‘Yuujers’ Tseng, senior finance major
Q: What drew you to the Heroes of the Storm game?
A: The knowledge, teamwork and strategy required to play the game at the highest level is very intricate, much like chess. You must try to stay several steps ahead and not only must your strategy be sound, but also execution. My competitive instinct also helps to drive me to be the best that I can be in any competition.
Q: What skills have you learned in class at UTA that help you with the competition?
A: Unexpectedly some of the things I have learned in my management classes have been extremely helpful in working in a team environment. By effectively “managing” our small team in a way to resolve disagreements, we can get the most out of our limited practice time.
Q:How do you work with your teammates?
A: Working in a small five-man team means everyone needs to communicate and do their jobs effectively. Having faith and trust in each other is integral to our success and as such team bonding is very important. We are constantly discussing ways to improve and are not only teammates in the game, but also friends outside of it.
Richard ‘Kladeous’ Tran, senior business information systems major
Q: How much time do you dedicate to practice and how do you balance that with school?
A: Usually 4-6 hours of team scrimmage practice during the night, and several hours a week playing the HotS rank ladder alone. By eating one cup of noodle a day to save time and having a good schedule to follow, I can organize my time well for gaming and studies.
Q: What skills have you learned in class at UTA that help you with the competition?
A: Professors and guest speakers have taught me that when you set your mind to anything, create a plan, execute. and then give it your 110%, you can go beyond the boundaries, achieve the unexpected. They also taught that confidence is a big key factor, as well as hard work and dedication to hone your craft.
Q: Why are video games important to you?
A: I started playing video games as a child and ever since became fond of them. They are an escape from reality, a great past time where you can explore endless stories and possibilities in virtual worlds, and it has worldwide competition.
Toby “eToby” Park, freshman computer science major
Q: Why did you choose UTA?
A: My initial choice was UT Dallas, but I thought about how I'd rather stay at home and commute. Arlington was closer and it seemed like a nice place to live with their strong claim of being one of the most diverse universities.
Q: What drew you to the Heroes of the Storm game?
A: I used to play League of Legends with my brother. After a major patch that changed the course of the game, we decided to move on to another game. Heroes of the Storm was similar but seemed to have qualities much better than League.
Q: Why are video games important to you?
A: I was a gamer from a very young age. It started from just enjoying the gameplay to enjoying every little detail and aspect of any game. I now have a better understanding of games and I want to work in a field that somehow allows me to connect with games on a deeper level.
Kevin “eKevin” Park, senior biology major
Q: How much time do you dedicate to practice and how do you balance that with school?
A: After I finish class and homework, I spend most of my leisure time on Heroes of the Storm.
Q: What skills have you learned in class at UTA that helped you with the competition?
Q: Why are video games important to you?
A: It’s good bonding time with my brother, eToby.
Yusuf “Kure” Sunka, junior political science major
Q: How did you get involved with UTA eSports?
A: One of my classmates played on the collegiate League of Legends team for UTA and invited me to come out and play.
Q: How much time do you dedicate to practice and how do you balance that with school?
A: I practice 6-7 days a week while going to school and studying.
Q: How do you work with your teammates?
A: I am the captain and I try to make the best choices for the team.
Tony “Lifexshort” Lam, sophomore finance major
Q:How much time do you dedicate to practice and how do you balance that with school?
A: 2 hours a week for practice. Depending on the class, I usually study for about 3 hours a week.
Q: What skills have you learned in class at UTA that helped you with the competition?
A: Economics helped me the most with its theory.
Q: Why are video games important to you?
A: Video games help me connect with friends and lead my community on campus.
