CONESTOGA COLLEGE
Condors Call of Duty esports team reaches international tournament

Condors esports celebrated a milestone with the varsity program when the Call of Duty team qualified for an international tournament.

The team secured a spot at the NACE Super Conference Grand Finals in Orlando, Florida at Full Sail University's Esports Arena, where the Condors competed against the best in the North American collegiate esports scene. 

"This incredible achievement is something our program takes immense pride in. Over the past two years, this dedicated roster of student-athletes has honed their skills and continuously pushed their limits. Now, as they prepare to graduate this summer, the opportunity to compete and travel serves as the perfect bookend to their journey at Conestoga," said Zack Dodge, supervisor of Esports Operations.

The Condors Call of Duty team included Michael Wiggelaar and Luca Mason-Milosevic, both honoured at the recent 2024/2025 Condors Esports Awards event. Wiggelaar was named Rookie of the Year and Mason-Milosevic earned the titles of team MVP and Esports Varsity Athlete of the Year.

The team finished Top 6 in the tournament.

"I think the team did so well because the majority of us have all competed at a very high level and we knew what it took to achieve our goals. As well as having a fun time, win or lose we were laughing and having a great time," Mason-Milosevic said.

Wiggelaar said qualifying for the finals allowed the team to showcase the Condors' abilities to a bigger audience. While the team hoped to do better in the tournament because they're always striving for improvement - and always have a fun time together regardless.

"Overall, it was a success and I was honoured to have been able to represent Conestoga and the Condors. I look forward to next season," Wiggelaar said.

Another noteworthy varsity esports achievement was Zachary Phillips winning the ECAC Championship for MLB the Show 24 with an undefeated season as a rookie esports athlete. 

Esports at Conestoga is poised to expand significantly in 2025 and put Waterloo Region on the map as an esports destination. A new 10,000-square-foot esports facility will open later this year at the Waterloo campus, including competition stage, broadcast control room, analyst studio, simulation racing room and a 132-seat lecture hall that will open to the esports space for events.

The college's dedicated esports hub opened at the campus in 2022 to support the college's growing esports ecosystem. The facility was the first of its kind in the region, and the college is working with the Waterloo Region Esports Commission to attract top talent and establish the region as a renowned esports destination and drive economic growth.

The School of Creative Industries offers dynamic programs that span all aspects of media, communication and design, including those related to the esports industry such as the two-year Esports and Event Media Production diploma program will train students on the production needs of hybrid events that are hosted via multiple formats, both online and in person.