Simpson’s esports team has been making waves this year. 

The team’s Valorant squad, currently boasting a record of 4-1, is reaching the end of their season and looking to take the top spot in their competitive bracket.

This is the first year the Valorant team has played competitively, but they have been showing that they can compete with the teams who have been around much longer. 

They are​​ currently competing in a collegiate esports program called the Midwest Mega Bowl, where they play 6-8 weeks of competition before heading into playoffs with the hope of going to nationals. 

The Valorant team’s season of regular play has come to an end, and are now heading into playoffs next week. 

For Levi Benes, the captain of the team, next week couldn’t come sooner. 

“The teams who are top-seeded are definitely the more established esports programs. This is obviously only our first year, but we’re still doing pretty well. It’s been a lot of fun. I just really like the competition. I like showing off,” Benes said. 

Another player on the team, senior Chase Sandy, is approaching the upcoming competition with a more modest mindset. “We’ve been doing well so far. Sometimes I get a little anxious [when competing], but we usually do a good job of keeping a good attitude and locking it down,” Sandy said. 

Part of the team’s success so far this season is due to the new leadership of the program this year. Hubert Whan Tong was hired as the new coach and director of the program in May and has brought a lot to the team as both a former esports coach and collegiate player.

“Simpson’s been phenomenal to work with so far – both the students and on an administrative side. The team has been great,” Whan Tong said. “I walked in on day one and we were beating teams who had been around for three or four years. We’re putting up good numbers most of the time or completely taking them to the cleaners. It’s definitely been a new program, but we’re easily the second-best esports school in Iowa.” Senior Chase Sandy gets dialed in during a match.

After the Valorant team’s season is over, the team will be right back to work preparing for the esports team’s League of Legends season next semester.