COVID-19, Esports, and K-12 Education

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Esports

As with just about every industry, esports has reinvented itself in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the online nature of esports has made its recovery more agile than most. Amid the loss of revenue from in-person events (and the shift to virtual ones), many players and teams are exploring novel and creative ways to stay engaged and compete. Virtual tournaments are bringing players together—both regionally and across the globe—resulting in increases in related network usage in excess of 75%, according to industry entrepreneur Mike Sepso, citing data from telecoms provider Verizon.

But what does this all mean for K-12 education? For the most part, it means increased participation and usage by K-12 and collegiate players along with staggering job opportunities—an increase of 43% during the first quarter of 2020. While some concerns still remain about esports in K-12, there is no doubt that students are not only gaming but engaging in competitive esports at an ever-increasing rate. To use popular video gaming imagery, esports is an unlikely phoenix rising from the COVID-19 ashes.

From celebrity concerts in Fortnite to Formula 1 racing online, esports has become an extension of pop culture. Ready to learn more? Read the brief here