A team of four students from a regional school in NSW have won a regional esports tournament that involved 56 teams across 31 schools in Australia and New Zealand compete.
The inaugural Acer Predator League Academy (APLA) offers an avenue for young esports talent to grow their potential. It is also the only Fortnite competition in Australia and New Zealand designed specifically for high schools, giving students a structured and engaging platform to participate in esports.
On 19 October, the team representing Border Christian College in NSW was declared the inaugural winners of the APLA tournament following a dynamic live showcase at Sydney’s South by Southwest (SXSW) against runner-up school Hoppers Crossing Secondary School.
Teams comprised of four students battled it out via weekly competitions with other schools, playing the popular game Fortnite. Schools competed across three maps that had been designed to promote communication, strategy and critical thinking, testing players skills and teamwork within the Fortnite world, with a teacher required to be a coordinator for each team.
“I think Acer’s Predator League Academy is fantastic,” David Whitehouse, father of Tom Whitehouse, captain of the Border Christian College team, said.
“Gaming involves lots of skills, motor skills and good reaction times. In games like Fortnite in particular, you have those elements of teamwork that make it great for kids.”
The grand final at SXSW on the weekend was a testament to the hard work and skills of the top two teams, with the winner’s trophy being presented by popular gaming personalities Lachlan and Loserfruit onsite on the day.
“I think the Acer Predator League Academy is really awesome,” Lachlan, one of the world’s biggest Fortnite streamers, said.
“If I had this during school, I definitely would have gotten on board. It would have been amazing to have that exposure early on, seeing the gaming industry like this and meeting people and other players.”
Predator Gaming partnered with video gaming marketing and game tech leaders Livewire to deliver the inaugural year of Acer Predator League Academy.
“The excitement from the students and the audience at the Acer Predator League Academy ANZ Grand Final at SXSW was contagious,” Livewire Co-Founder Brad Manuel said.
Manuel noted the collaborative spirit the students playing together for the ANZ Championship, which he said provides a platform to celebrate esports and the skills of the next generation of Fortnite players on PC.
“Acer Predator League Academy is designed to give all students the chance to play with their classmates and friends for fun and competition, similar to all school sports, and the inaugural year has been a resounding success,” said Brad.