Expansion in the works as CCE looks ahead to a bigger 2023
The Collegiate Center for Esports (CCE) could expand to a bigger cast as early as next edition after the roaring success of its first two seasons.
CCE, the country’s fastest-growing collegiate Esports league, said it has received a slew of inquiries and interests from more colleges and universities on the possibility of joining Season 3, which will fire off midway through this year.
“We’re grateful, thrilled, and honored to have gained traction from more schools which are seeing the noble cause of helping us advance the Esports movement especially in the collegiate ranks. That’s a welcome development and definitely, a possibility moving forward,” said CCE president Stanley Lao.
CCE introduced itself in Sept. 2021 featuring 10 pioneer member schools in Lyceum of the Philippines University, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, San Sebastian College-Recoletos, Mapua University, San Beda University, Arellano University, Jose Rizal University, Emilio Aguinaldo College, College of St. Benilde and University of Perpetual Help System-DALTA.
For now, the founding members have been slugging it out in the prominent Mobile Legends: Bang Bang game with Lyceum of the Philippines University reigning supreme as the back-to-back champions.
Lyceum also won the Varsity Cup that featured basketball players from respective squads while Perpetual’s Jasper Cuevas won the 1v1 Exhibition that served as the launching events of CCE with Galaxy Racer and Smart, with SM Mall of Asia, Cyberzone, Legion by Lenovo, Mountain Dew, Hawk Bags, Fantech, Huawei AppGallery as sponsors, and MPL-Philippines serving as an official partner.
Moreover, the CCE also helped the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) in organizing the Friendship Games that had Esports for the first time ever on top of an overseas event by staging the MPS SEA Campus Invitational that included teams from Vietnam.
Approaching Season 3, the CCE might open gates for more competition as it eyes to leave no stone unturned in promoting the sport and developing student-athletes who desire to push through professionally with the discipline way beyond the virtual arenas.
“Our ultimate goal ever since has been to champion the Esports scene in the collegiate level, including an unwavering support to schools in enriching in their Esports programs. We are open and willing to lend that hand,” added CCE commissioner Waiyip Chong.
Details, including the number of additional schools desiring to join CCE, are still fluid for now with CCE yet to convene with its founding members regarding the said possibility as it plots the 2023 calendar after a banner campaign last year.
Meanwhile, the league in partnership with Smart had launched a CCE Immersion before the New Year with trips around the member schools for seminars, workshops and events on the booming Esports industry – in and out the virtual arenas – with its relevance and acceptance now as an official course in the academe.