Winona State University has opened the new Warrior Esports Lounge located in the Student Activities Center in Kryzsko Commons Student Union that features numerous popular video games.
Director of Student Union and Activities, George Micalone says, “In light of recent pop culture trends WSU is excited to provide a high functioning and safe gaming lounge for people to come, play and connect.” Micalone teamed up with the IT department to establish the lounge and make it a high functioning gaming center for all to enjoy.
Student interest in gaming has greatly grown throughout the U.S. in recent years. WSU is happy to provide a safe social outlet for beginners and avid players alike. In the current pandemic students may feel disconnected from peers, the Warrior Esports Lounge provides a controlled and safe environment for students to come together and bond over similar interests. The Warrior Esports Lounge was created in conjunction with an uplift to the entire Student Activities Center space in Kryzsko Commons. Amenities in the area have been upgraded, modernized and new activities for students have been put in place to create a fresh and exciting student union.
The Warrior Esports Lounge is equipped with high powered gaming PCs, quick refresh monitors, Nintendo switches, peripheral equipment such as controllers, mice, and keyboards, and 65” Sony TVs for viewing pleasure. All consoles are equipped with over thirty games including Super Smash Bros, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Minecraft, Madden ’21, Rocket League, Fortnite, and League of Legends.
To keep the players safe, a code of conduct has been established for the lounge. Currently only 12 people are allowed in the lounge at a time. All consoles are socially distanced, masks are required, and multiple sanitization standards are being practiced and enforced. Once the safety precautions of the pandemic have been lifted, the lounge will allow 50 participants and host numerous tournaments and other spectator events.
To begin using consoles, players can visit the Student Union Resource Center desk in Kryzsko Commons where they will be given instructions on how to begin playing and how the space works. New users must create their own accounts for free games, and limited licenses will be available for paid games. The lounge is open daily from 10am-10pm. Each player can have up to four hours of PC/Switch access per day with a maximum of 50 hours in a month.
For more information visit: https://www.winona.edu/studentunion/esports-lounge.asp
