The Texas A&M University-San Antonio Overwatch esports team will compete in Ontario, Canada, after placing second in the A&M System Showdown for Overwatch 2 on Feb. 22.
A&M-San Antonio’s esports team will travel to St. Clair College in Windsor for The Saints Gauntlet series from April 11-13.
The competition is a collegiate invitational series that will feature six game titles: Overwatch 2, Valorant, Call of Duty, League of Legends, Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Tyler “Just” Dowden, 19, cybersecurity sophomore, who has been a gamer for 14 years, is part of the Overwatch group headed to Canada.
“I am very excited, and it’s a really big step, not only my career but the whole school program and it will open more opportunities in the future for travel,” Dowden said.
The Overwatch team will compete on April 12 for the prize pool of 2,500 Canadian dollars.
A&M-San Antonio esports previously accompanied players across the A&M System for the largest in-person LAN event matchup among the university teams.
The A&M System Showdown featured Super Smash Bros. and Overwatch 2. The showdown included A&M-San Antonio, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University International, Texas A&M University-Texarkana, Texas A&M University College Station and East Texas A&M University.
A&M-San Antonio won the singles matches in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Nicholas “Gidy” Strictland won first place, Jayden “Lil Parmesan” Brooks placed second, and Aidan “Feint” Tamariz placed third.
The A&M-San Antonio esports team was established in fall 2019.
David “Goliathan” Ludemann competes in an Overwatch match at the Texas A&M System Showdown at the Boeing Center at Tech Port on Feb. 22, 2025. The event was open to the public. Spectators watched as they cheered on their university. Photo by Victoria ArredondoJoseph “Anjoki” Almaznaai and Will “Crouton” Nguyen from Texas A&M University-Texarkana commentate the Texas A&M System Showdown at the Boeing Center at Tech Port on Feb. 22, 2025. Photo by Victoria ArredondoJorge “Slugger” Garza competes in a match of Super Smash Bros. at the Texas A&M System Showdown at the Boeing Center at Tech Port on Feb. 22, 2025. Texas A&M University-San Antonio competed in singles against Texas A&M International University, Texas A&M University-Texarkana, East Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Nicholas “Gidy” Strictland won first place, Jayden “Lil Parmesan” Brooks placed second, and Aidan “Feint” Tamariz placed third. Photo by Victoria ArredondoTyler Dowden “Just” cybersecurity major competes on a hybrid map called Kings Row in an intense payload match as “Torbjorn” against A&M-International for the TAMU Showdown on Feb. 22 at the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, TX. Photo by Johnathan Peña.Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s Overwatch team faced-off against six A&M Universities at the Texas A&M University System Showdown at the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, TX, Feb. 22. Photo by Johnathan Peña.Esport athletes from all six A&M Universities filled the LAN center for the A&M University System Showdown, Feb. 22 at the Boeing Center at Tech Port. Photo by Johnathan Peña.(Left) Luis De Garzia “Myaa” Damage per second (dps) main, (Middle) David Ludemann “Goliathian” support and (right) Gabriel Renteria “CupidSoldier” flex support give callouts and strategize their plays against A&M-Texarkana Feb. 22, at the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, TX. Photo by Johnathan Peña
