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Esports player competing in international Rocket League tournament

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WVU sophomore Jarret Birch, who plays Rocket League — a vehicular soccer video game — under the name “Angel,” is competing against some of the world’s best Rocket League players this week during Gamers8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The tournament features 24 of the world’s best teams and has a prize pool of $2 million.

“When we qualified for this, I couldn’t believe it was real for days,” Birch said. “I’m super excited to finally be playing at a LAN (Local Area Network) event after competing in Rocket League for years. Getting to meet the players I’ve talked to for years and playing at an event I’ve wanted to attend is such a great feeling.”

Birch made his debut with WVU esports earlier this summer, helping the Mountaineer Rocket League team qualify for the CCA Summer Series, and will be competing in Gamers8 as part of AllMid.

“The crazy thing is he’s constantly getting better as a player because of these pro circuit tournaments. Being able to play against the best players in the world is a benefit most players never receive, but Jarret has earned the right to play against them,” Josh Steger, WVU esports director, said.

“Aside from the mechanical skill set he brings to the table, he’s just a tremendous human being. He understands how to work in a team environment and has natural leadership that makes his teammates want to be better and play alongside him. It’s a rare trait to see in collegiate esports.”

The tournament is set to get underway today (July 14) with a group stage featuring four groups of six teams that will be narrowed down to a single-elimination bracket with the top eight teams vying for the big prize.

The finals for the tournament will take place on Sunday (July 17).

You can follow along with the tournament by tuning in on Twitch at twitch.tv/Gamers8GG or twitch.tv/Gamers8GGB.