Get to know 3 of the top British Esports Championships student Overwatch teams

With the British Esports Championships spring qualifiers on hold, Bryony-Hope Green speaks to the three Overwatch teams in joint first place in the 2020 British Esports Championships.

Each with nine wins under their belt, the Braintree Basilisks, Circineas and GCS Owls made a huge impact during the Winter Qualifiers of the championships, sitting comfortably in joint first place.

In almost every match played, all three teams managed to get 3-0 victories and storm through their individual groups, showing they are not to be messed with.
Here is a bit more information about our top teams!

 

Circinaes – The Sixth Form College Farnborough

Team Roster:

• Gjallarhorn (Team Captain)
• Kronos
• DevilWood
• GunsOfVenom
• Andreas
• Hazza

Falling under the Farnborough Falcons brand, this new team of sixth-form students joined together in September 2020 to start in the Winter Championships and quickly maed an impact from the beginning.

Although some members of Circinaes played together in previous seasons of the British Esports Championships, this specific roster was brand new, and they did not disappoint.

In all of the matches played, they had a clean sweep against the other teams in Group One, beating the likes of the LlandrilloDragons and Merthyr Mountains who were successful in the 2019 Championships.

Team captain Gjallarhorn explained the teams’ extensive training schedule, saying: “All of us play a lot of ranked, at least 3-5 hours a day, but can go up to 8-12 hours or more on some days. I’d say we each play ranked about 40-50 hours a week.”

He also added: “It is definitely something I am proud of to know that our team put in the hard work, dedication, and effort into focusing on winning every single one of our matches, however it is also something that we all expected as we have the confidence and trust in each other.”

The team hopes to reach Top 500 in Overwatch before they split off to attend university – with some of them even moving on to study esports in higher education.

In the Spring Qualifiers, the Circinaes plan to come in with the same energy and tactics as before; striving to remain in the top spot for the Championship title.

 

GCS Owls – Gower College Swansea

Team Roster:

• Dominus (captain)
• Ace
• Spooktune
• Poggers
• ROMP3E
• Kiwir

The GCS Owls Overwatch team formed in the Championships in 2019, where they stormed through their competition and made it all the way to the quarter finals.

Practicing once a week as a group, they hone in on their specific skills to eliminate weaknesses and put the best compositions forward on match day.

These qualifiers allowed the Owls to flourish once again, going undefeated and getting 3-0 victories consistently.

By taking down the likes of the Fisher Falcons and KES Scorpions in Group Four, the Owls opened the path up into first place.

Even with the QMSamurai1 team hot on their tail for the top spot, the GCS Owls managed to defeat them in an intense series (which ended 3-1).

NeilG, team Manager of the GCS Owls, added: “We hope to continue to grow as a team and hope to make the finals. We also hope to grow our teams following on social media like Instagram, Twitch, YouTube etc…”

Coming into the next round of the Championships, the Owls have a brand-new coach named Shades, who hopes to continue the team’s winning streak and take them all the way to the grand finals.

 

Braintree Basilisks – Colchester Institute Braintree Media

Team Roster:

• Exalt (Co-Captain
• Creation (Co-Captain)
• Noon
• Daxterkisake
• Kaymine
• Nelox
• ArticBravo
• DomSlom

As a new team to enter the Championships in September last year, the Braintree Basilisks proved that they are a force to be reckoned with.

The team was formed just as the Winter Qualifiers began and had their first scrim as a group in October – but this has never stopped them from being able to storm through the opposition.

Although they do not have a strict practicing regime for matches, their ability to work as a team is natural.

They managed to take down South Staffordshire College (SSC) and the Confetti Arrows (who had experience playing in the 2019 Championships), as well as having 3-0 sweeps across all nine of their matches.

After the team was announced as joint-first for the qualifiers, team manager Matt Tatham said: “The whole team were buzzing with excitement and it was a goal we set ourselves after the first few matches, so we are really pleased that we managed it especially against some tough opposition.”

“I know that my team is gutted that the Championships have been postponed, but I am hoping they will be able to dust off the cobwebs and that the break doesn’t affect us too much.”

With high hopes to expand their team even further, the Braintree Basilisks will bring a whole new level of enthusiasm to the Spring Qualifiers – and will strive to steal the crown from their opponents.

 

Whilst the matches have been postponed until after February half-term (due to COVID-19 restrictions), the British Esports Association is still streaming. Check out the British Esports Twitch channel for lots of gaming, community streams, and interviews until the Championships begin again!“It is definitely something I am proud of to know that our team put in the hard work, dedication, and effort into focusing on winning every single one of our matches, however it is also something that we all expected as we have the confidence and trust in each other.”
Gjallarhorn, Circinaes team captain“We hope to continue to grow as a team and hope to make the finals.”
NeilG, GCS Owls team manager