Pursue your passions in esports and gaming! Whether your interest is competitive, casual, or academic, our gaming Monarchs have a space to thrive! You could participate as an extracurricular activity with student clubs, tryout for our varsity teams, or work towards developing a career path in the game design & development industry. Whatever your goal, ours is to support yours with a well-rounded and developmental environment for all students to enjoy.
Questions?
Contact Grant Deppen, Assistant Director of Intramural Sports and Esports or Byron Hinson, Esports Coordinator.
Monarch Esports Arena
ODU Webb Center | Room 2114 (2nd Floor) | 1301 W 49th St, Norfolk, VA 23529
757-683-3384
The Monarch Esports Arena (MEA) is a multi-purpose facility with 2,400+ sq. ft. of gaming space that is the home to ODU's Varsity Esports teams and much more. The MEA features 50 gaming computers, consoles, and a library of games to choose from. The arena also features a broadcast and streaming studio, as well as a console area for relaxing, social gaming.
The MEA hosts various special programs, on-campus events, and is available for reservation during specific periods. Because the facility serves multiple roles and populations, there is a possibility that functions of the space overlap. See Rec Well Facility Reservations for policy info.
When can I play video games at the Monarch Esports Arena?
Students can drop-in for gaming hours during open hours 12pm - 8pm daily* (except holidays).
*Split into 2-hour blocks, 12PM-2PM, 2-4PM, 4-6PM, 6-8PM*
Policies:
- Users must be a current ODU Student
- Must use PC's with GGLeap software system
- Must use provided keyboard and mouse
- Pre-Registration for a 2-hour time block is required
- Limited to 2-hours per student, per day
- Food is not allowed
- Drink must be in a solid container and have a sealable top
- Required to leave at the end of your 2-hour session
Hours:
Varsity team players and staff may utilize the facility throughout the operating hours of Webb Center.
Policies:
- Varsity players will not be required to formally register if they're taking part in a team activity or player development.
- Team and player development activities must be known to the Assistant Director prior to use.
- May use personal keyboard and mouse
- Food is not allowed
- Drink must be in a solid container and have a sealable top
| Component | Specs | Manufacturer | |
| Gaming PCs | Case | Alienware Aurora R11 | Dell |
| Graphics Card (GPU) | RTX 2060 Super, 8GB GDDR6 | Nvidia | |
| Processor (CPU) | 10th Gen i7-10700k | Intel | |
| Memory (RAM) | 16GB Dual Channel Hyperx DDR4 | HyperX | |
| Storage | 512GB M.2 SSD + 2TB SATA | ||
| Monitors | 25in, 250Hz, 1ms, G-SYNC/Free Sync Compatible | Dell | |
| Keyboard | Alienware mechanical, gaming, low-profile | Dell | |
| Mouse | Alienware wired/wireless gaming mouse | Dell | |
| Consoles & Controllers | Nintendo Switch | 32GB | Nintendo |
| PS5 Controllers | Wired | Sony (Playstation) | |
| XBox Controllers | Wired | Microsoft (XBox) |
*Headsets and controllers are available to be checked out*
**New generation consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X) will be available when products can be purchased.**
The Monarch Esports Arena is also home to a broadcast suite dedicated to live production and content creation to support the ODU Varsity Esports teams.
The suite has several unique features including:
- mounted PTZ cameras in the arena, remotely controlled from the suite to capture players in-game
- game capture card for 4k streaming
- display monitors mounted in the broadcast desk
- greenscreen backdrop for graphics and game overlay
- Streamdeck XL for transitions and display changes
- streaming, graphics, and design software
Students working in this space will be able to build their own portfolio for their professional career or pursue a passion related to streaming and gaming.
Students interested in attaining these positions should contact Grant Deppen, Assistant Director of Intramural Sports and Esports via email, gdeppen@odu.edu.
Player Recruitment & Team Tryouts
Eligibility
- All those interested in playing varsity Esports must complete the ODU Esports Recruitment Questionnaire to be considered for our varsity and club teams and be eligible for tryouts.
Tryouts
Online tryouts for 2024-2025 in Valorant, League of Legends, Rocket League, Overwatch 2, Call of Duty, & Super Smash Bros will be held in two phases from June - August 2024.
- Open Tryouts: June 24th - July 14th (Register for a tryout day and time here)
- Closed Tryouts (Invite Only): July 15th - August 4th