Esports, the online, professional, competitive, video game league, has taken the world by storm. Over the last five years, it has skyrocketed to become one of the hottest entertainment industries globally, producing a market revenue of just over $1 billion and climbing in 2020.

Now two Montgomery County Community College alumni are working hard to ride the esports wave locally, serving as volunteers for the young start-up company, Philly Esports. The company, launched in 2018, hosts pop-up video game tournaments, offering competitive gamers a chance to play in professional settings for cash prizes and build their personal gaming brand.

Alumni Kyle Morelli and Becky Bachurski are the company’s director of marketing and social media manager, respectively. Both are avid gamers in their own right and say they are excited to help usher in the virtual sport to the area.

“I’ve always been a fan of video games,” said Bachurski, of Abington. “My first console was the Sega Genesis, the first game I remember playing was Sonic the Hedgehog and it’s progressed since then. I’ve always played. When I saw Philly Esports needed volunteers, I jumped right on it.”

“I’ve been a gamer my entire life. Since I was 3 or 4 years old,” said Morelli, of Harleysville. “I’m really trying to get into the esports scene. I have a passion for gaming and the business. I was following Philly Esports on social media and I shot my shot. I reached out to (CEO) Adam (Nelson) and told him I was impressed and how can I get involved? In October 2019, I started working my first event.”

Both Bachurski and Morelli are recent MCCC graduates.

Bachurski started at MCCC in 2010 and received an associate’s degree in liberal arts two years later. She then transferred to Temple University for a bachelor’s degree in communication while interning with the Disney College Program and The Franklin Institute. She graduated in 2015.

MCCC, she said, holds a special place in her heart.

“If I had to describe Montco, it’s like a family vibe I get from it,” she said. “Honestly I loved it so much.”

Morelli, meanwhile, started at MCCC as a dual enrollment student in high school and began studying full time in 2016. Two years later, he graduated with an associate’s degree in business administration. During his time at MCCC, he served as a senator in the Student Government Association, where he chaired the Student Success Committee, and was chapter treasurer of Phi Beta Lambda, the college division of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).

“I was very involved,” he said. “It’s a great school and I had a great time.”

Bachurski and Morelli use the skills they acquired during their time at MCCC to this day.

Currently, Morelli works as a welder professionally and puts in “sweat equity” as a volunteer at Philly Esports to help grow the brand. Morelli is in charge of the company’s budgets and marketing research, while Bachurski focuses on engagement. Their efforts appear to be paying off.

“We’ve grown exponentially. In terms social media for sure,” said Bachurski. “Close to 600 followers on Facebook and 800 on Twitter. Engagement is up a lot.”

“Engagement is through the roof,” said Morelli. “We’ve been coming up with different ideas for engagement pieces. We’re trying to get people excited to participate and make the esports experience more family-friendly, so they’ll want to come out and compete.”

Philly Esports is already a mainstay on local college and university campuses, hosting events for student gamers, including at MCCC. Continuing to host new events for competitors and reaching out to new potential fans of the sport, even virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is the focus currently for the company.

“Not only do we encourage people to become professional gamers but we’ve been trying to introduce people to the world of gaming. Gaming is a real sport,” said Bachurski. “Everything you can do in regular sports, you can go do in gaming.”

Esports continues to see tremendous growth year after year. Viewership growth is expected to climb at a 9 percent annual growth rate between 2019 and 2023, from 454 million in 2019 to 646 million in 2023, according to Business Insider.

In 2019, ground was broken on the new esports Fusion Arena in South Philadelphia, which is set to open in 2021. The 60,000-square-foot, 3,500-seat arena will cost over $50 million to develop and will feature the live event space, luxury boxes, team offices, a broadcast facility and a player practice area, according to ESPN.

Esports is not only profitable for the industry, but also for the players. Last year, 16-year-old Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, of Pottsgrove, won $3 million when he became the "Fortnite" world champion.

Here at home, Bachurski and Morelli raved about MCCC’s Mustangs Esports team, which launched a year ago with a “Rocket League” team. Bachurski appreciated the fact the Esports team would be adding new games this fall to its lineup including “Overwatch,” “League of Legends” and “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.”

“I think it’s great,” said Bachurski. “When I found out about it, I wanted to join. Opening that realm of games for any college is great. ”Overwatch” is one of my favorite games. Adding more sports is like adding basketball or baseball to a regular athletics program.”

“There are college teams popping up more and more every year,” said Morelli. “Montco is following suit and is definitely not late to the party. Starting an esports team is a great idea and a great investment.”