Montgomery County Community College and its Mustangs Athletics program are excited to announce the launch of a new esports game coming soon to their roster.

“Valorant” the wildly popular, five versus five, team-based, futuristic tactical video game will be available for all-gender student-athletes in the Mustangs eSports varsity program to play beginning this fall. Players in the game are assigned to teams of agents and face off against each other. Both MCCC’s Blue Bell and Pottstown Campuses will host esports matches this coming semester, enabling the team to fill two squads of six to eight players

“This game is really popular and one that our players have been asking for, for a long time,” said Kelly Dunbar, Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation. “It’s one of the most competitive games in all of the leagues in which we play. We can’t wait for our players to dive in and join the fun.”

The game marks the sixth esports game title available for the Mustangs to play. The five other games include “Hearthstone,” “League of Legends,” “Overwatch,” “Rocket League,” and “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.” In 2021, student-athlete Paul Dovidio was crowned the Fall National Junior College Athletic Association esports “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” champion (include link to story).

MCCC takes a holistic approach to the esports program, ensuring that student-athletes’ physical, mental and academic health are ensured. Student-athletes must be enrolled in one of MCCC’s academic programs, take a minimum of 12 credits per semester, maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or higher and pass a physical.

Practices also include stretching warmups and regular exercise to improve endurance and hand-eye coordination. Students compete in College Hall at Blue Bell Campus and in the newly renovated South Hall at Pottstown Campus.

Student-athletes also have access to TimelyCare, which provides round-the-clock, free, virtual care. They can talk to counselors, doctors, nurse practitioners, and more to address concerns that can be safely diagnosed and treated remotely.

The Mustangs eSports program is the Athletics eighth collegiate sport and its first all-gender team. The Mustangs eSports team members compete against colleges nationally as part of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), which is composed of over 170 member schools with over 5,000 student-athletes. They also compete as part of the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE), composed of more than 60 two-year colleges from across the country.

For more information about the Mustangs eSports team, contact Kelly Dunbar, Director of Athletics and Campus Activities.