Esports 101
This term refers to organized competitive video gaming.
What is Esports?
This soccer-style video game features cars instead of human players.
What is Rocket League?
NIU's varsity esports program currently features these five competitive game titles.
What are Valorant, Rocket League, League of Legends, Overwatch, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?
This Nintendo character wears a red hat, has a mustache, and regularly rescues Princess Peach.
Who is Mario?
This abbreviation stands for "Most Valuable Player" in competitive gaming.
What is MVP?
This popular streaming platform allows fans to watch professional gamers compete live.
What is Twitch?
This battle royale game is famous for allowing players to build structures while fighting opponents.
What is Fortnite?
This professional gaming organization partnered with Huskie Gaming in 2026 through its Collegiate Partner Club program.
What is Gen.G?
This company created the PlayStation gaming consoles.
What is Sony?
This term describes the delay between a player's input and the response from a game's online server.
What is ping or latency?
This term describes the most effective strategies, characters, or weapons in a competitive game at a given time.
What is the Meta?
This tactical first-person shooter developed by Riot Games features agents with unique abilities and maps such as Ascent and Bind.
What is Valorant?
NIU's Rocket League Black team defeated this university's team in fall 2025 when it was ranked number one in the country.
What is Florida University?
This Fortnite player won the solo championship at the 2019 Fortnite World Cup, taking home $3 million.
Who is Bugha?
In Valorant, attackers must plant this device at a bomb site to win a round by detonation.
What is the Spike?
In esports, this term describes intentionally giving up one objective to gain a different advantage elsewhere on the map.
What is trading objectives?
This competitive first-person shooter features maps such as Mirage, Inferno, and Nuke, with teams attempting to plant or defuse bombs.
What is Counter-Strike 2?
In fall 2025, NIU's Rocket League Black team finished first in this collegiate competition.
What is the NACE Varsity Plus League?
This legendary League of Legends player is nicknamed "The Unkillable Demon King" and has won five World Championships.
Who is Faker?
In League of Legends, a team can earn this permanent elemental buff after defeating four elemental dragons.
What is Dragon Soul?
This tournament format allows teams to lose once and still compete for the championship through a lower bracket.
What is double elimination?
This multiplayer strategy game features champions, three lanes, and a championship tournament known as Worlds.
What is League of Legends?
During fall 2025, NIU's varsity Super Smash Bros. Ultimate team completed its first regular season with this win-loss record.
What is 7–3?
This professional Counter-Strike player, whose username begins with a lowercase "s," became famous for his incredible AWP skills while playing for Natus Vincere.
Who is s1mple?
In Counter-Strike, this round strategy involves deliberately spending very little money so the team can afford better weapons and equipment in a future round.
What is an eco round?