Generation Esports announced today that they are expanding the High School Esports League (HSEL) into Australia and New Zealand. The new league, called HESLANZ, will begin in the winter semester with the HESLANZ Winter Major esports tournament.
This tournament will start on August 24 and will last for four weeks. Varsity teams across the Southwest Pacific can compete against one another in Fortnite, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Valorant, and Clash Royale. This first tournament is free, most likely as a way to encourage participation. However, the winning teams will be able to compete in the Summer Season for free as well.
Said Mason Mullenioux, co-founder and CEO of Generation Esports in a press release:
With the start of each new school year, we challenge ourselves to find new ways to engage students through esports. After cementing HSEL as North America’s largest high school esports organization, a feat we are immensely proud of, we are excited to announce this new chapter for the league which will give students in Australia and New Zealand access to our competitive platform and various academic resources. We can’t wait to get started!
School before play
In addition, the HSEL Gaming Concepts curriculum North America already uses will be available for HESLANZ high schools. This particular curriculum entices esports players to actually attend school and focus on their grades as much as their game.
“What we bring to Australia and New Zealand is a proven educational program that embraces students’ passion for video games and shapes it into an understanding of the esports industry,” Hugo Diegues, the Generation Esports representative in Australia and New Zealand, explained. “Our aim is not to encourage students to leave the classroom but to entice them to enhance their academic learning with the addition of a gaming class that may be utilized by those wishing to pursue a career in the industry.”
As esports’ popularity continues to grow in high schools, we’re sure to see esports organizations continue to expand their reach.
