On May 24-25, Milan hosted the finals of the Amazon University Esports (AUE), the Italian esports competition for university students, organized by King Esport.
Image Credits | @UniEsportsIT
AUE Finals – What is it?
University programs have been on the rise in recent years and esports is no exception. The rising interest in videogame competitions in the younger generation has allowed various organizers to create national tournaments across different European countries, including Italy.
King Esport, the organizer of the AUE for this 2023 season, was able to further raise the interest in the esports leagues and therefore, the number of participants. It broke all records from previous editions, showing the increasing appeal and growth of the esports industry.
A total of more than 4,000 students and 140 teams have taken part in over 50 tournaments, spread between 5 different esports titles: League of Legends, VALORANT, Clash Royale, Teamfight Tactics e Rocket League.
Thanks to the support from Riot Games, as well as important brands like FRITZ!, Samsung, and HP Omen, King Esport was able to take the university esports leagues to new heights. And to round off the spectacular result, the organizer decided to host a live event for the AUE Finals at the Auditorium C30 in Milan.
Read also: Best Plays from MSI 2023 - Top Highlights and insane moments
AUE Finals – Results
The AUE Finals have taken place across two different playdays, on May 24 and 25. The first day featured the finals of Rocket League, Teamfights Tactics, and Clash Royale. The second day, instead, saw the VALORANT and League of Legends finalists fight for the university championship.
Aside from the gameplay, however, King Esport also added engaging activities and panels with the goal of discussing esports and gaming, and their potential ties with the academic world. Some of the important guests included Carlo Barone, Brand Manager of Italy for Riot Games. His panel talked about the importance of the publisher and his relationship with other esports stakeholders, giving the chance to students to meet and talk with one of the most important professional figures in the esports scene and get one step closer to the industry.
“It was an amazing year for us, and we are thrilled to present the AUE Finals live in Milan,” said Francesco Basile, co-founder di King Esport. “We witnessed record-breaking numbers and great interest from both players and enthusiasts, and we are ready to celebrate the players’ talents and ambitions at this live event.”
King Esport and their goal of increasing the awareness of esports through education
Aside from the AUE Finals, King Esport put a lot of emphasis on their “educational plan”, creating workshops and engaging activities within the gaming and esports industry across different universities in the Italian territory. A total of five workshops and eight tours saw more than 700 students get in touch with the sector and learn more about the potential careers esports can offer. Hoping to raise awareness of the phenomenon progressively, King Esport is looking to bring more educational activities and grow the community.
Read more: LoL Patch 13.11 - How will Riot balance the mid-season meta?