The NKU Campus Recreation Center celebrated the debut of the Victor E Zone on the second floor on Thursday evening, showing off the new setup of 10 PC’s for all NKU students to come and play video games or compete in video game tournaments.

“It’s a great start and I think there’s only ways to go up from here and to really get that student involvement,” said Assistant Director of Student Engagement Samantha Mason when asked about how she hoped this new gaming hub would impact the NKU community.

After the esports team officially launched in late 2020, the general feeling of the members has been headed upward after they gained their home spot of “The Sandbox” in Founders Hall. This new spot in the Campus Recreation Center has taken over a year to be opened for all students to enjoy.

Nick Heck, the head of Content Production for the varsity esports team, said that this event and opportunity gave the team “a chance for growth.”

“It’s been a little stressful, as it’s [been] roped off for so long. I’m glad that it’s finally open and students will be able to use it,” Heck said about the process of unveiling the E Zone to Norse Nation.

The opening of the Victor E Zone was made possible by donations from technology company Periphio for the monitors, as well as gaming chair donations from the NKU Esports team. 

“This is a place where students can come between classes, after class, and just have a chance to meet other people,” Jill Wood, the director of campus recreation, said. 

Mic Carr, the assistant director of programming at the Campus Recreation Center, said that his goal is for this to be an inviting environment that feels accessible to everyone on campus. He plans for this space to be diverse in gameplay with tournaments in games like Rocket League, Madden, NBA 2K and Fortnite, among others. 

The message to any students that are interested? “Try it out,” said both Heck and Mason. Wood said this new Victor E Zone will not only be an area for students to compete in tournaments and play games, but it will also be an opportunity for those interested to showcase their skills to the coaches and potentially earn a spot on the esports team.