Esports at Full Sail University

Published January 27th, 2025

By: Abby Stassen

Full Sail University takes esports seriously. The college boasts the largest collegiate esports arena in the country and the Armada varsity esports team. Numerous esports and gaming events have been hosted on Full Sail’s campus, and students who are interested in learning about creating video games have several degree options to choose from. Let’s find out more about esports and gaming at Full Sail University.

The Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress

During Full Sail’s 10th Annual Hall of Fame and 40th-anniversary celebration in 2019, the university cut the ribbon on the Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress, Full Sail’s esports arena. At more than 11,200 square feet, it’s the largest collegiate esports arena in the country, with a 500-person capacity, an LED wall with 10 million pixels, and a concert-level PA system.

Esports & Gaming Events at Full Sail

Madden NFL 25 Championship Series

Full Sail University is serving as the official host of EA SPORTS’ Madden NFL 25 Championship Series. It launched in the Fortress with The Kickoff Challenge, a two-day LAN event where Full Sail students got to shadow EA’s event crew. Eight of the world's top Madden players competed for a prize of $150,000, and current Armada players helped produce the event.

The Madden Championship Series Playoffs were also held in the Fortress, with players competing for a prize pool of $1 million. Finalists will compete in the Madden Bowl in New Orleans at the end of February 2025.

More than 80 Full Sail graduates from a variety of degree programs also contributed to the development of EA SPORTS’ Madden NFL 25 and College Football 25 games. They worked in roles like art direction, software engineering, lighting, quality design, and more.

Hall of Game

Full Sail kicked off its 14th Annual Hall of Fame with its annual esports exhibition, Hall of Game. Students, grads, faculty, and staff cheered on Armada varsity esports athletes as they competed against returning alumni players in Call of Duty, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The alumni players won the Hall of Fame Champion’s Cup with wins in Rocket League and Smash, while the current Armada team beat the alumni players in Call of Duty.

National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) Starleague Spring Grand Finals

Full Sail also hosted the NACE Starleague Spring Grand Finals in the Fortress. The event featured 14 collegiate esports teams from the US and Canada competing in titles like League of Legends and Call of Duty.

NBA 2K

Full Sail hosted the NBA 2K League’s 2024 draft in the Full Sail Live venue. Draft prospects enjoyed luxury seating as teams from across the league announced their draft picks on a live stream, where more than 20,000 viewers watched on Twitch and YouTube. The NBA 2K League also awarded one Full Sail student a $7,500 scholarship.

Chel Challenge

In 2022, the Fortress served as the home of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Bolts Chel Challenge Finals. The event featured the top four NHL 22 players from North American and European regions; they competed for a $6,000 grand prize. Nearly 7,000 viewers watched on a live stream as the players competed for the win. A Full Sail student who was studying sports marketing and media also received a $5,000 scholarship from Bolts Gaming and the Tampa Bay Lighting.

Full Sail Armada

Armada, Full Sail University’s esports team, was launched in 2018. Armada has nine competitive teams that play games like Valorant, Call of Duty, League of Legends, Rocket League, and more in the Fortress and the Armada practice space on campus; they also travel for competitive play against other schools. Varsity roster spots are available not only for competitive players but also for content creators on Armada's Stream Team and on-air talent for the Casting team.

The Armada community is about more than just competitive gameplay though, as they also connect through club gatherings and volunteer opportunities. Monthly club meetings happen in the Fortress, where students hang out with their peers and play their favorite games. Online students also have regular community nights where they play pickup games in titles like Overwatch, Valorant, and Rocket League.

The community volunteers throughout the year to support initiatives for Extra Life, a fundraising program of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Last fall, Armada athletes and Full Sail staff members came together at the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children to bring trick-or-treating fun to the hospital’s patients.

Full Sail’s Esports Partnerships

Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute

Armada athletes are benefitting from a partnership with Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. Through the partnership, they can improve their game performance by creating health plans with Orlando Health doctors. Team talks on nutrition, sleep, and movement are also available.

MSI

MSI works with Full Sail Armada every year to help power Hall of Game, Full Sail’s annual esports exhibition during Hall of Fame week.

3n2

A local Central Florida company, 3n2 is one of Armada’s official jersey sponsors.

Full Sail University’s Game-Focused Undergraduate Degrees

Full Sail offers several undergraduate degree programs that help students learn about the art, design, development, and technology of video game production. These include:

Full Sail’s Scholarships

Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute Esports Scholarship: This scholarship, made possible by Full Sail’s partnership with the Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, distributes $50,000 of scholarship funds to a few Armada athletes each year.

Incoming Full Sail students can apply for several scholarships. These include:

Dedication Scholarship

Academic Advantage Scholarship

Find out more about Full Sail’s available scholarships here.