Looking for a community of gamers? Connor Forbes explores the benefits of joining the Video Game and Esports Society at Loughborough.
Discovering your people can be intimidating, but luckily Loughborough University has a plethora of societies for students to come together through their shared interests and cultures. As I start my second year at Loughborough, I want to shed more light on one of the university’s biggest and most diverse societies, the Video Game and Esports Society (LSUVES).
Once known as just the Video Game Society, LSUVES has built a community of students through online and in-person events for almost 20 years. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals is an excellent way to connect with people at university. Regardless of how invested in gaming you may be, you will find those who share your interests, and perhaps introduce you to new ones. Diversity is majorly important in the society, with many LGBT+ members who are ensured to feel welcome and included.
Great fun can be expected when partaking in the society’s wide array of events. Over the freshers’ period and through October there will be many online and in-person events taking place. Over Discord, there are regular Game Nights where anyone can hop into one of the games chosen by the community. Commonly, the society will choose games that are free to play, or very cheap so everyone gets a chance to take part. These can be a lot of fun as it will not only introduce you to a new game you might love, but it is a perfect opportunity to meet your fellow society members. I highly recommend participating in at least one of these game nights over October to introduce yourself to the society and above all have fun.
But if you feel like meeting new people IRL, LSUVES has got you covered there as well. There will be plenty of events to take part in as this new chapter at Loughborough begins, with a weekly Pub ‘n’ Grub, tournaments, console nights, laser tag, and most of all, LAN. Perhaps the biggest and best event held by the society, LAN features activities for everyone; gaming events such as Minecraft and Jackbox, competitions, quizzes, and collaborations with other societies including the Tabletop Gaming Society. LSUVES offers plenty of activities and even more excitement throughout the weekend of LAN and across the year.
Is casual gaming not quite your style? Try and go pro by getting involved with the Esports division. Here you can take part in international tournaments and challenge other students in mini-competitions for the chance to win exclusive prizes. LSUVES has teams for all the most popular competitive games such as Valorant, Super Smash Bros., League of Legends, and more. Joining an Esports team is a fantastic way to meet those who play similar games and to test your skills against the rest of the society.
Games are a fantastic way to find those lifelong friendships, especially when starting out in a new environment. I personally am so grateful for the connections I have made in my first year and that is in part thanks to this wonderful society. If you are interested, be sure to check out their socials @lsuves to find more information and check out some of their activities available throughout October and the rest of the year.
