- Acer has partnered with ACGL on the Acer Nitro ASL school esports league, and is calling for more schools to join.
- The Acer Nitro ASL has more than 60 schools signed up already, with more than 600 learners competing in events.
- A R70k prize pool is on offer, with Rocket League, League of Legends, Fortnite, FIFA 23, and CS:GO tournaments earmarked.
Once resigned to the back row of the classroom, esports has rapidly been gaining popularity and credibility as a sport at South African schools, with a number of traditional sports powerhouses looking to give learners the opportunity to compete in videogames.
Adding credence to this assertion is Acer and the African Cyber Gaming League (ACGL), with the pair partnering to establish the Acer Nitro ASL (ACGL Schools League) for school esports.
“This new league will bring esports events and tournaments to schools and learners in South Africa. Aspiring esports athletes and their schools can join the league to bring the exciting values of cooperation and competition to life,” explains Acer in a press release sent to Hypertext.
Supported by Acer for Education, the Acer Nitro ASL is specifically aimed at high school students. The companies note that over 60 schools have already signed up for Acer Nitro ASL events, representing more than 600 learners.
The participating schools can be found here, with each being given an ACGL page where they can track and showcase the progress of their players. Additionally, schools can also run their own tournaments for free on the platform, the pair noted.
“During the league’s seasons, they [school teams] will compete in their choice of several popular competitive games for prize pools. Acer Nitro is the headline sponsor, boosting the five prize pool titles with R6,000 per term per game,” adds Acer.
The five prize pool titles are:
- Rocket League (3v3),
- League of Legends (5v5),
- Fortnite (3v3),
- FIFA 23 (1v1),
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (5v5).
“We’re especially excited that Acer Nitro ASL is open to schools across South Africa and will from inception be the one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, schools eSports league in South Africa with over 64 teams already signed up and the largest number of gaming titles supported so we can includes as many players as possible. It would be a missed opportunity to not invite schools who have not yet signed up to join us on the journey, the Acer Nitro ASL is here,” enthused Glenn Du Toit, country manager at Acer.
Those wanting to play, but not compete for prize money, will also have some options. Here Acer Nitro ASL will offer:
- Chess (1v1),
- Brawlhalla (1v1),
- Apex Legends (3v3),
- Clash Royale (1v1),
- Overwatch 2 (5v5),
- Valorant (5v5).
“High School esports has always been a massive part of ACGL’s history, where we’ve always attempted to provide opportunities to schools within our capacity. The support from Acer Nitro allows us the opportunity to offer schools more opportunities, structure and the capacity for ACGL to do more in the space. Acer Nitro’s response to the call to support this blooming sector within our gaming community is held in such high regard by us and the team. We couldn’t be more proud to work alongside such a future focused company that really understands and sees the value of esports locally,” added Clint O’Shea, director at ACGL.
To find out more about the new Acer Nitro ASL, head here.
