Everything You Need To Know About Esports This Fall

AURORA – The Colorado High School Activities Association’s second fall esports season officially kicked off today.

Regular-season play will begin this week and run through Friday, Nov. 17 with playoffs beginning on Monday, Nov. 27. For the fall season, CHSAA crowns a state champion in both League of Legends and Rocket League. The state championship will be hosted at Localhost in Lakewood on Monday, Dec. 4.

Here’s what you need to know about this season of esports:

History of Esports and CHSAA

• This is the second year of esports officially being a sanctioned CHSAA activity.
• Last fall, Cherry Creek won the first-ever esports championship, claiming the Rocket League title, while Grandview captured the first-ever League of Legends championship.
• Every school is allowed to have as many esports teams as they want, but only two can qualify for the state championship tournament.
• This fall, there will be 115 teams from 65 schools fielding at least one esports team.

League of Legends

• League of Legends is one of the world’s most popular esports games. In the game, two teams of five players compete to defend their own base, while destroying the base of their opponents, known as Nexus.
• A game ends when one team has pushed through the opposing team’s base, destroying the other team’s Nexus.
• For CHSAA’s League of Legends regular season, each match is a best-of-three series where the first team to win two games wins the match.
• Grandview won League of Legends at the 2022 State Championship by defeating Chaparral in the finals, 2-0. On its path to a state championship, Grandview didn’t lose a single game, sweeping every opponent.
• Learn more about the game and get answers to frequently asked questions on this “What is League of Legends?” article.

Rocket League

• Rocket League is another one of the most popular esports titles in the world. In Rocket League, two teams of rocket-powered cars compete against each other in a game of soccer. Players work together to advance the ball down the field and score goals in their opponents’ net.
• The team with the most goals at the end of regulation wins. If there’s a tie, the teams play periods of overtime until a winner is determined.
• For the regular season, Rocket League is a best-of-five series with the first team to win three games winning the match.
• In the playoffs, each match is a best-of-seven contest. The match is won by the first team to win four out of the seven games.
• Cherry Creek won the Rocket League title at the state championship last year by defeating Rocky Mountain 4-2 in the finals.
• Learn more about the game and get answers to frequently asked questions on this “What is Rocket League?” article.

Growth of Esports in Colorado

• There will be 42 new teams competing in esports this year, with 31 new Rocket League teams and 11 new League of Legends teams.
• Of the 31 new Rocket League teams, Denver West leads the way with four new teams, while Platte Valley, Fossil Ridge and Widefield all added two new teams. Colorado Early Colleges-Parker, Chatfield, Kent Denver, Montview, Rock Canyon, Hanover, Steamboat Springs, Green Mountain, Vail, Overland, Dakota Ridge, Thomas Jefferson, Haxtun, Akron, Arvada West, Aspen, Granada Undivided, Mountain Range, Respect Academy, Prairie View and Vista Ridge each started a new Rocket League team for the 2023 season.
• There will be 11 new teams competing in League of Legends this year, as Arvada West and Highland added two teams apiece, and Akron, Colorado Early Colleges-Parker, Highlands Ranch, Kent Denver, Overland, Ponderosa, Steamboat Springs all added one team.
• In total, there will be 115 esports teams competing for a state championship this fall, while there were 93 teams competing last year.

Regular-Season Schedule

• PlayVS is the host all of CHSAA’s esports competitions. You can find all League of Legends and Rocket League information, including important dates, season schedules, standings and teams competing, on their website.
• All schools will play a total of seven matches over eight weeks, with one bye week worked in, throughout the regular season. Records throughout the regular season will be used to create postseason brackets.
• League of Legends will be played on Tuesdays, while Rocket League competition will happen on Thursdays.
• All matches are at 4 p.m. local time.
• Information on how to read and navigate the fall schedule can be found on the PlayVS website.

The Road to States

• The regular season will conclude by Nov. 17, with postseason play beginning the week of Nov. 27.
• Rocket League will feature a top-32 postseason bracket with 83 teams vying for those 32 spots, while League of Legends will be a top-16 bracket with 32 teams competing to secure a playoff spot.
• The top-16 remaining teams in Rocket League and the top-eight remaining teams in League of Legends will secure a spot to compete in person for the state championship.
• The 2023 State Championships will be hosted at Localhost in Lakewood on Monday, Dec. 4.