the essential
The enthusiasm for e-sport materialized in the creation, in November 2022, of an association. The Local is chaired by Steven Carré.
Based in Castelculier, the Le Local association fully illustrates the growing attractiveness of e-sport in Agenais. Created in November 2022 by “gamer” friends, it seeks to make this practice more accessible at the local level. “Today, e-sport consists of stars who have a lot of visibility via the networks, and who earn a lot of income for their activity,” indicates Steven Carré, president of the association. “These players constitute a great showcase, but there is a real demand at the local level, from amateur players, to practice e-sport,” he continues. To try to meet this demand, Steven can count on around ten volunteers gathered around a project which is gradually taking shape.
A collective project and increasing ambitions
It started with the creation of a community by running a dedicated server on the Discord media. This server, intended for players from Agenais, already has more than 250 people. It allows in particular to create links between people and communicate on the different tournaments organized by the association, most often online.
Since then, the association has also participated in various events related to video game culture. Those who were curious and went to the Alliance Japon event in Boé may have seen them, busy hosting a small Supersmash game competition alongside a certain Raflow, a professional player and regional star of this game.
For the moment, the association offers its services for free. The events rely on motivated volunteers and equipment lent by the community. A great example of solidarity and cooperation, two essential qualities for any great team! The association’s next outing should be held during the Campus Numérique open days in the fall, for the final stages of a new Supersmash tournament with increased prizes. Enough to attract new curious people and, hopefully, create more meetings!
Growing attractiveness of e-sport
It is a practice that is growing in popularity every year among all segments of the population. For a long time remaining the prerogative of a few particularly talented young enthusiasts, e-sport has conquered a new audience in recent years, made up of video game enthusiasts of all ages, looking for meetings and competition. This practice consists of participating in video game tournaments, online or via a local network, allowing players of all levels to play matches with their peers. This new popularity has been driven in particular by local associative movements, generally made up of players seeking to come together to fully experience e-sport without needing to buy their tickets for major national and international competitions.
