Miami University’s Varsity Esports program continues to rank as one of the greatest collegiate programs in the country, making BestColleges Top 10 list for esports programs these last few years and currently sitting as the number one program as of 2023 (BestColleges.com). Many factors contribute to the program’s success, including player and team performance, great coaching, and invaluable spaces to practice in. However, it takes more than just great performance within a variety of games to build a strong program; that’s where the Forge comes in.
The Forge, made up of six different teams, is the student-led program that does all of the behind the scenes work for the varsity teams. They work together to support the varsity players and program here at Miami. From promoting the team on social media and photographing events to creating graphics and casting the games, the Forge handles a majority of the work to ensure the program runs smoothly and maintains a presence both on campus and within the world of esports.
The Forge is led by project manager and social media team lead Darcy “Lunoni” Hayes. As project manager, Darcy is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the various teams within the forge in order to support the program as a whole. She explained that the Forge’s main responsibility is promoting and maintaining the Redhawks Varsity Esports program and the players within it.
“It [the Forge] is essential to the program” Darcy explained, “The players can play regardless, but our program is as great as it is because of the teams behind. They elevate it [the program] from casually playing in your room to functioning like an official organization.”
Alongside that, the Forge allows students to work within esports without needing to be the best player at their respective games. The six different teams within the Forge – Graphic Design, Media Production, Social Media, Stream Production, Website, and Sponsorship – offer a variety of opportunities to work within esports, games, and alongside the varsity players. Team lead for Website and Overwatch/ League of Legends caster, Caden “Onion_jpg” Citro stated that the best part of being in the Forge is “Getting to be a part of games and esports – a scene that I want to get into”.
This program gives students a new perspective on the world of esports, opening up new career options and allowing them to apply their skills in an environment they might not otherwise get the chance to be a part of. Artists, designers, photographers, writers, and commentators can all find a way to apply their talents and skills to the world of esports by working in a program like the Forge.
Each team within the Forge has its own set of responsibilities, yet works closely with all the other teams within the program. For example, The graphic design team would create a game-day graphic – potentially using photos captured by the media production team – which would then be posted across multiple platforms by the social media team. The teams each have their own weight to pull but are closely intertwined with each other to create the cohesive unit behind the varsity program.
Although the main role of the Forge is to support and promote the varsity program, it also provides an environment for students to learn more about esports and how organizations work while also building crucial lifelong skills. This is true both for the students looking to pursue a career in esports and those looking to maintain their love of games solely as a hobby. With how closely intertwined the individual teams are on the Forge, students are learning how to communicate and collaborate with each other across disciplines.
“Working in the Forge has helped me build soft skills and given me experience working in a team environment” Stated Luke “Luka” Hostetler, the lead for the Graphic Design team. These are skills that are easily transferable to a wide variety of career options. Alongside that, fellow Forge member and League of Legends shoutcaster Jason “Jdotson” Allen commented that his time in the Forge helped him with public speaking and crisis management. He explained that “since learning how to speak on a live stream to live viewers every week, I’ve grown far more comfortable with public speaking in general.”
While many Forge members share this same sentiment, one of its biggest strengths is the people within it. Many Forgers – the nickname given to those who work in the Forge at Miami – stated that the best part of being in the Forge was getting to work alongside amazing people who are as equally passionate about esports and the teams as they are. Much of the work produced by Forgers is comparable to that produced by professional esports organizations. In fact, several team members have already found careers in esports – and attribute part of their success to the experiences they had while working in the Forge.
Miami’s Varsity Esports program wouldn’t be the staple it is today without the Forge. The Forgers work hard to promote the varsity teams and create an environment that functions similarly to that of a professional organization. It elevates the varsity program from good to outstanding. It gives players a sense of importance and professionalism to their collegiate gaming careers, alongside offering countless opportunities for students to get involved in the world of esports and professional gaming.
