UNCG to Host E2Weekend - Esports + Education

Educators and Gamers Converge at UNCG for Unreal Engine and Fortnite Creative Training, and a Fortnite Tournament

UNC Greensboro will host E2Weekend on October 28 and 29 a weekend of esports tournaments, as well as educational Unreal Engine and Fortnite Creative toolset training provided in collaboration with Epic Games. Held in the UNCG Esports Arena and Learning Lab the E2Weekend (Esports + Education) includes a two-day, hands-on educational opportunity for regional high school educators and UNCG faculty, staff, and students. Participants will learn how to build interactive 3D experiences using Unreal Engine the world's most open and advanced real-time 3D creation tool. They'll also learn how to jump in and use Fortnite's Creative toolset to build anything they can imagine using assets and devices from the game.

Separate from the training, UNCG will also be hosting the Spartan Clash featuring Fortnite , where students from North Carolina high schools, and two- and four-year colleges will participate in a Solos Fortnite tournament.

UNCG is at the nexus of where esports and academics collide. Currently, there are more than 175 million people who play video games in the United States , with that number expected to hit 182.6 million by 2024. In 2021, 465.1 million people watched live-streamed gaming content and that number is expected to reach 577.8M by 2024. UNCG's goal is to lead and enhance esports education and develop the esports industry leaders of the future.

"UNCG is committed to collaborating with industry leaders like Epic Games to provide the educational and esports programs that enhance academic and career outcomes for North Carolina students, establish an end-to-end talent development pipeline for the state, and position North Carolina as the nation's leading esports economy," said UNCG Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. "Events like this one go a long way toward delivering on that commitment."

The two-day Unreal Engine Accelerator Experience, "Bringing Interactive 3D to Your Classroom with Fortnite Creative and Unreal Engine," will help educators gain the skills needed to use the leading 3D creative tools in classrooms. Unreal Engine is the world's most open and advanced real-time 3D tool, used to create Fortnite, and other cutting-edge titles. In addition, it has been transforming a wide variety of other industries based on its powerful features. The E2Weekend resources and instruction will prepare participants to support student use of these industry standard tools with ease. Open to high school and college educators, the course does not have prerequisites for participants. Each tool is introduced from the perspective that all participants have little to no experience. The goal is for educators to feel comfortable bringing these tools to the classroom.

Spartan Clash featuring Fortnite is a solo-player Fortnite tournament open to high school and college students, who will compete for a total prize pool between $1,000 - $3,000 . Competitors will take part in online qualifiers with the top 45 players competing in the UNCG Esports Arena and Learning Lab in the semifinals and finals on Saturday, October 29th . Visit esports.uncg.edu to register to compete or attend the event.

The E2Weekend is the latest initiative that places UNCG as a national leader in the esports space. UNCG also offers a non-credit certificate program in esports and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management with a concentration in esports . The next UNCG E2Weekend is January 13-15, 2023 , and will include an additional Unreal Engine Accelerator Experience, and a Spartan Clash featuring Rocket League. For more information visit esports.uncg.edu .

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SOURCE UNC Greensboro (UNCG)