On Sep. 8, Oxford Academy’s E-sports program took part in an exclusive event at the Riot Games headquarters. Alongside other E-sports programs from Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD), Oxford Academy participated in a tour of the world-renowned gaming company and witnessed the behind-the-scenes production of the North American Challengers League (NACL) Finals for League of Legends.
The NACL Finals, a Tier 2 competition, featured a high-stakes match between Dragon Steel and FearXstarforge. The event was a result of a collaboration between USAEL (United States Academic E-sports League) and AUHSD, aimed at providing students with an immersive look into the logistics and technical aspects of professional E-sports tournaments. This partnership allowed young gamers to see firsthand how such events are organized, from broadcast setups to player preparation.
“OA E-sports was invited alongside all AUHSD E-sports programs to participate in a tour of Riot Games and be a part of the production for the NA Challengers tournament finals for League of Legends,” OA E-sports club advisor Mr. Barnett said.
Oxford Academy sent 33 members from its E-sports program to the event. Students were given a tour of Riot Games’ facilities, followed by access to observe the tournament finals live. The match, which saw Dragon Steel emerge victorious, showcased a number of standout performances, including Dragon Steel’s Zamudo, whose Garen gameplay in round two was noted for its precision and strategic mastery.
“The tour was really great. We got to see a bunch of cool things from our video games. We got to see a bunch of cool statues, and we got to meet cool people. We got to meet the employees of the company,” sophomore Benson Tran said.
This event not only provided students with valuable insight into the world of competitive gaming but also opened doors for future opportunities in the rapidly growing field of E-sports.
“We are currently trying to get more opportunities for our students to tour other gaming facilities. Also, some developers at riot gifted multiple students riot gun buddys,” Barnett said.
The students are also looking forward to more in-person opportunities like this in this school year.
“I think it really opens a bunch of doors to E-sports and do more things in-person. I hope that we are able to go to more places and more field trips. I hope that our members are able to do more than to just play games, and to see more great opportunities,” Tran said.
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Oxford E-sports tour Riot Games headquarters. The team supported production for the North American Challengers League Finals for League of Legends.
Photo by E-sports Publicity Team'
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E-sports team members Aiden Nguyen (12), Kai Nguyen (12), Josephine Lee (Cypress HS, 12), Brian Pham (12), Ethan Cho (12) check out the largescale character models at Riot Games HQ.
Photo by E-sports Publicity Team'
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Brian Pham (12) and Kai Nguyen (12) were among the E-sports team members toured Riot Games and interacted with Riot employees.
Photo by E-sports Publicity Team'
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Dragonsteel Jungler Yuuji prepares for League of Legends tournament play.
Photo by E-sports Publicity Team'
