Barnsley Griffins win Overwatch and VALORANT in charity event

Barnsley Griffins, the esports team from Barnsley College University Centre, finished first in both the Overwatch and VALORANT competitions at an end-of-year charity tournament. The event took place at the close of the academic year after the Griffins were invited to compete by Luke Swaby, a former Barnsley College student and staff member who now teaches esports at Oldham College.

Each player on the winning Overwatch lineup received a Puma Play chair donated by Man City Esports. Members of the victorious VALORANT team were awarded £20 gift vouchers. Organisers ran a livestream during the matches and viewers donated a total that exceeded £150 to Cancer Research UK.

Player Alfie Caunt described the event as a chance to support charity and to put the team’s training into practice: ‘We’re doing this for a great cause, supporting Cancer Research UK. It’s a good opportunity at the end of the year for everybody to come together, take part in some extracurricular activity, use what we’ve learned throughout the year, put it into practice and come out victorious.’

The Barnsley Griffins compete in the National Student Esports framework. British Esports records university team results and is involved with the UK Esports Advisory Panel, a committee formed in part with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Previously, we reported that Riot removed Breeze from Valorant competitive matchmaking over bugs.