All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

ESports offer a way to stay connected during the pandemic

BUCKHANNON – While pandemic has limited traditional socialization, some people have found ways to connect using technology, particularly through video games.

Ethan Hayes, the head coach of the West Virginia Wesleyan College eSports team, said the college squad has been competing in Valorant — an online, five-versus-five, character-based first-person shooter game — and other multiplayer during the pandemic.

My Buckhannon recently chatted with Hayes to get his top recommendations for gamers looking to connect online and have some fun in the process. For anyone unfamiliar with ‘gaming,’ eSports is a type of sports competition using video games, often in the form of organized, multiplayer competitions between individuals or teams.

Hayes recommended three games — two competitive and one more relaxed: Valorant, League of Legends and Minecraft.

“We are currently competing in completely online leagues, [and] one of the cool things about eSports is that we were able to not miss a beat and continue playing in the online leagues that are already established,” Hayes said. “When you talk on the computer, you don’t have to worry about social distancing because you were never going to see these people to begin with.”

Valorant allows players to start a game by themselves and fight alongside four random people or compete with friends against another team.

“I really think they’ve enjoyed it the most, because it’s one of the games that we’re competing in,” Hayes said. “They’re getting the opportunity to learn as they go along, and they’ve been practicing just as much as they’ve been playing.”

Another game the Bobcats eSports team has shown interest in is League of Legends, a multiplayer, action-strategy game that is one of the most popular eSport games in the world.

“League of Legends is, of course, the biggest one – as many people watched the League of Legends World Championship last year as the Super Bowl so it’s pretty high on the list,” Hayes said.

The game features two teams of five people, playing different types of champions in order to destroy the other team’s base. Each champion has their own strengths and weaknesses, so teams must determine which characters will work well together to achieve their goal.

“You pick different roles depending on which lane you want to play, so you can be a supporting character that makes sure that your primary damage dealer character doesn’t die,” Hayes said. “Then you could be the primary damage dealing character, and your entire goal is to get as strong as you can, go out and deal the most damage.”

Hayes said the game requires an internet connection and online interaction with other players. As with Valorant, you can either queue into a lobby solo and get paired up with random teammates or join and play with friends.

Hayes said another game enjoying a resurgence is Minecraft, a creative experience that can be explored alone or with a whole group of friends. The cubic world features both a creative mode — build whatever you can think of — and a survival mode with monsters.

Another game that isn’t strictly multiplayer but came out when the pandemic first started was “Animal Crossing New Horizons,” a Nintendo Switch title that allows players to land on their own tropical island and build it up from scratch, erect structures, decorate, plant flowers, go fishing or socialize with friends on their islands. It’s a game with no particular goal, but during a pandemic that was pretty relaxing, Hayes said.

“We saw a resurgence of party games during COVID,” Hayes said. “‘Fall Guys’ became incredibly popular, ‘Among Us’ is just still super popular – it’s a fun game, and you have the ability to throw up a quick match. I think games allow people to interact in a way that has been absolutely key to surviving mentally in this pandemic, even board games. There was a [trend] going on where people would play board games on Skype.”

Share this story:

RECENT Stories

City considers using opioid abatement money to support new Wesleyan addiction counseling initiative

Buckhannon City Council agreed to partner with West Virginia Wesleyan College to support a new online graduate certificate in addiction counseling, potentially using opioid litigation settlement funds to provide scholarships for local professionals.

Sheriff of Upshur County accepting applications for part-time Courthouse Security positions

The Sheriff of Upshur County is looking for individuals interested in part-time / fill-in courthouse security positions, with applications available at the courthouse until positions are filled.

Softball Lady Bucs rally past Bridgeport in seventh-inning for 9-8 win; Abel grand slam lifts them to 13-7 victory over Elkins

The Buckhannon-Upshur Lady Bucs softball team earned Big 10 Conference wins over Bridgeport with a dramatic seventh-inning rally and Elkins with an Abel grand slam, improving their season record to 8-6.

Baseball Bucs beat Lewis County 7-3; put 20 on the scoreboard in victory over Elkins

The Buckhannon-Upshur Buccaneers baseball team went 2-1 this week, beating Lewis County 7-3 and Elkins 20-10 after falling to Bridgeport, bringing their overall record to 6-5.

Baseball ‘Cats rally to sweep Bluefield State in doubleheader

The West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats swept a doubleheader against Bluefield State, winning 10-2 behind a dominant offense in game one and rallying for an 8-7 comeback victory in game two.
WVWC Track - Wesleyan Sports

Wesleyan softball gets split with West Virginia State

West Virginia Wesleyan softball split a doubleheader with West Virginia State, winning the opener 5–1 behind Kendall Stoffel’s dominant pitching before dropping the second game 8–7 after a late comeback effort fell short.

Woman arrested for allegedly stealing jewelry while cleaning homes in Upshur County

A French Creek woman was arrested and charged with multiple counts of burglary and grand larceny after allegedly stealing more than $70,000 in jewelry and cash while cleaning homes in Upshur County.

A Budding Bash: Moon Flower rolls out the green carpet for ‘420 Eve’

Moon Flower Hemp will host its largest-ever 420 Eve celebration Saturday, featuring food trucks, local vendors, live music, and contests to unite the community and elevate West Virginia’s cannabis culture.

A spring refresh for My Buckhannon

My Buckhannon has launched a redesigned website featuring a cleaner layout, improved readability, streamlined navigation, and enhanced responsiveness to provide readers with a distraction-free, user-friendly news experience across all devices.

This week’s Hank Ellis All-Stars: Jack Waggy and Rylen Carlyle

Jack Waggy broke a 30-year-old school record in the 3200 meters and Rylen Carlyle leapt to a personal best in the long jump, earning them Hank Ellis All-Stars honors for Buckhannon-Upshur this week.

WVSSAC to keep state high school golf tournament in Wheeling

The WVSSAC Board of Directors has chosen Oglebay Resort in Wheeling to continue hosting the state high school golf championship through 2028 after considering bids from several venues.

Waggy breaks school record in 3200 meters for Bucs at Harry Green Invitational

Jack Waggy broke the Buckhannon-Upshur school record in the 3200 meters with a time of 9:45.31 at the Harry Green Invitational, leading the Bucs to a fourth-place finish overall.