UT Dallas Esports Adds Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Team

03.04.2019

If you walk past the Comets esports room in the Student Union, you might see some familiar characters on the TV screens.

The University of Texas at Dallas announced its third official esports team last month with the addition of “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.”

“‘Super Smash Bros.’ is a game series that has existed at a highly competitive level since its release in 1999,” esports coach Greg Adler said. “With the latest installment in the series in Ultimate, we saw how successful our students were doing and the longevity the game would have and knew this would be the perfect addition to our program.”

The 2018 crossover fighting game is a competitive favorite in which players battle to be the last one standing on a stage. It features more than 70 different characters, including Mario, Donkey Kong, Pikachu, Zelda, Link and Pac-Man.

The team held tryouts in February and is in the process of scheduling opponents. Their first match will be March 8 at Texas A&M University.

UT Dallas launched its esports program last fall, making it one of the few universities in Texas to offer esports as part of its athletics department.

In ESPN’s latest College League of Legends Top 25 coaches poll, UT Dallas ranked 13th.

The No. 10-ranked UT Dallas Overwatch team has secured a spot in the regional and national playoffs.

–Brittany Magelssen

 
While you’re here… check out our YouTube series highlighting the esports team’s first season.