Get ready gamers – if you're under 18 and live in Mackay, Cairns or Townsville, the QUT-led EsportsAble Academy is heading your way!
The academy will hold free tournaments (featuring Rocket League and Marvel Rivals) in each city over the next three months – starting with Mackay this week (August 30-31), then Townsville (September 27-28) and Cairns (October 25-26).
The events are part of a youth wellbeing project that aims to learn how to create safer and more welcoming esports communities for high school students.
The project includes the virtual EsportsAble Academy for under 18s, as well as in-person events.
The north Queensland competitions are part of a statewide series of six tournaments that will culminate with regional winners being flown to Brisbane for the inaugural EsportsAble Queensland High School Esports Championship at QUT in November.
Project team leader Professor Byron Keating from the QUT Business School said EsportsAble was led by researchers and experts from across QUT with an interest in using esports as a platform for positive change. They are working in partnership with the Queensland Government, local councils, Headspace and the Queenslanders with Disability Network.
The project is funded through an Information, Linkages and Connections grant from the Australian Government.
"EsportsAble is about more than just playing video games; it's about creating a sense of belonging and community for teens, especially those in regional areas where rates of mental ill-health, social isolation and self-harm are twice that of capital cities," Professor Keating said.
"We're using the power of esports to engage high school students and help them connect in a safe, inclusive and respectful way with their peers.
"We are incredibly proud to see the positive impact of the first three events, and we're looking forward to building on that momentum in Mackay, Townsville and Cairns."
The tournaments provide two avenues for under-18s interested in esports.
Players ranging from beginners to experienced gamers can improve their skills, compete for prizes and make social connections, while volunteers can learn about event management, marketing and broadcasting, and connect with others.
The program has already attracted more than 1000 high school students to school-based pop-up events, online power-up coaching sessions and live esports tournaments held in Toowoomba (May 29-June 1, pictured at top), Mount Isa (June 28) and Rockhampton (July 26-27).
QUT's EsportsAble tournament coordinator Steve Window said registrations for the Mackay showdown would be open until August 29.
"Teenagers need to register as individuals and we will put them into a team with their friends or connect them with other gamers if they don't already have a team," Mr Window said.
Mackay teenagers can warm up their skills – and get to know Rocket League if they haven't played it before – at free Rocket League practice sessions at two local libraries this week in the lead-up to their local tournament.
Mr Window said QUT had been running high school esports events for more than a decade and was excited to now have the EsportsAble Academy and host the new regional tournaments.
"We've had great feedback from the schools that students and parents have enjoyed getting involved with the academy and tournaments so far," he said.
"We're excited to bring the EsportsAble Academy to Mackay, Townsville and Cairns and to provide high school students in these communities with the opportunity to be crowned local champions and then have the chance to become the inaugural state champions in Brisbane in November."
Dr Thilini Alahakoon, the EsportsAble Academy manager, said both the EsportsAble Academy and the EsportsAble tournaments were free, and encouraged eligible teens to get involved.
"One of the most popular features of the Academy is our regular online 'Power-Up' sessions where people can hone their skills and get feedback from professional gamers and coaches," she said.
"The next Power-Up sessions will be for Townsville players on August 28 and September 4, with a statewide community session on September 3.
"We will continue to host online gaming skill development workshops and online tournaments for academy participants after November and are interested in hearing from schools that would be interested in our school pop-up sessions.
"We're also hoping to get high school teachers more involved in the academy next year and are working on teacher support resources to help them kick off their own esports club or program."
The dates and venues for the next three 2025 EsportsAble tournaments are:
- Mackay EsportsAble Tournament – August 30-31 at Central Queensland University
- Townsville EsportsAble Tournament – September 27-28 at James Cook University Townsville
- Cairns EsportsAble Tournament – October 25-26 at James Cook University Cairns
Drop-in practice sessions for Rocket League will be held before the Mackay tournament at the Gordon White Library (GWL) and Dudley Denny City Library (DDCL) on:
- Wednesday, August 27 – GWL & DDCL | 3pm – 5:30pm
- Thursday, August 28 – GWL | 3pm – 7pm
- Friday, August 29 – DDCL | 3pm – 5:30pm
The winners of the regional tournaments will be invited to Brisbane in November for the EsportsAble Queensland High School Esports Championship, which will be hosted by QUT. The EsportsAble Academy will provide flights and accommodation for the team members, as part of their prize package.
