ROCK SPRINGS — Western Wyoming Community College announced Tuesday that it will add esports as its sixth varsity sport beginning in fall 2025.

Esports, one of the fastest-growing activities on college campuses, features online competitions between schools. The Western Mustangs will launch a co-ed team that will practice and compete against other institutions across the country.

According to the National Junior College Athletics Association Esports (NJCAA-E), “there are more than 400 high school and 300 college and universities currently supporting esports programs across North America and it is becoming clear that collegiate esports are paving the future of the Esports industry.”

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Esports began gaining traction in higher education in the early 2010s as colleges and universities recognized the popularity of competitive gaming and formed official teams. Many programs now foster both competition and career opportunities in the gaming industry.

“The addition of an Esports program within Mustang Athletics provides us with a great opportunity to extend the mission of Western Wyoming Community College to a wider audience,” said Lu Sweet, Western’s athletic director.

Esports student-athletes will be required to meet the same eligibility standards as other Mustang athletes, including being full-time, degree-seeking students, maintaining academic eligibility, and progressing toward a degree.

“We look forward to identifying our first head coach and working alongside that person to help guide our strategies for recruiting and developing our student-athletes,” Sweet said.

The team will compete in an upgraded gaming arena inside the Western IS Lab on the Rock Springs campus. League affiliation and specific game titles will be determined once a head coach is hired, the college said.

New Alpha Schools are due open in Charlotte (NC), Raleigh (NC), Folsom (CA), Palm Beach (CA), Chantilly (VA), Lake Forest (CA), Austin (TX) and Plano (TX) this autumn. 

The partnership with Guidepost Montessori will allow Alpha to reduce the typical one- or two-year timeline usually required to open new schools.

“The demand for Alpha’s educational model has exceeded all expectations,” explains MacKenzie Price, Co-founder at Alpha School. “This partnership with Guidepost allows us to grow faster than ever—without compromising the core elements that make Alpha special. We’re giving families immediate access to a school where children fall in love with learning, build academic mastery while learning life skills from a very young age.”

Students at Alpha Schools typically spend just two hours each morning learning core academic subjects using personalized, AI-powered tools. In the afternoons, they spend time developing real-world skills such as critical thinking, public speaking and entrepreneurship. 

Alpha School says is partnership with Guidepost Montessori will allow it to launch micro schools that help it retain its small-group, personalized learning experience while expanding quickly in response to demand. 

“Families everywhere are realizing that academic excellence doesn’t have to come at the expense of joy, purpose, or curiosity,” adds Price. “At Alpha, we’re transforming early education by helping young students build strong reading and math foundations in just two hours a day. The rest of their time is spent exploring hands-on, play-based workshops that teach creativity and collaboration while leaning into students’ personal passions. It’s a model that keeps kids engaged, confident and genuinely excited to come to school.”

RTIH AI in Retail Awards

Our sister title, RTIH, organiser of the industry leading RTIH Innovation Awards, proudly brings you the first edition of the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, which is now open for entries. 

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers’ businesses.

With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work – resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Wednesday, 3rd September.

Armed by the support from football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, the Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC) got underway on July 7 in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.

The mega event, which will run until August 24, will feature the world’s top esports players and clubs, allowing fans to enjoy gaming, culture, and entertainment.

This year’s edition has a prize money of $70 million and will feature 25 tournaments across 24 global games, 2,000 elite players, and 200 clubs from over 100 countries.

The organisers of the Esports World Cup also roped in Ronaldo, one of the most celebrated athletes of all time, as the global ambassador of the event.

Ronaldo’s appointment marks a defining milestone for the Esports World Cup and signals the continued rise of competitive gaming as a global sport. A five-time Ballon d’Or winner and a symbol of elite performance, Ronaldo brings a powerful presence and cultural resonance that transcends traditional sports, helping connect millions of fans to the next generation of esports athletes.

As global ambassador, Ronaldo will headline the tournament’s global campaign throughout the seven-week competition and festival in Riyadh. He also stars as a playable character in FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, one of the 25 tournament titles in this year’s Esports World Cup games lineup. With a social media following of over one billion, Ronaldo’s voice will help bring the tournament to new audiences and introduce the next generation of fans to the elite players of competitive gaming.

Ronaldo’s participation will also highlight the Esports World Cup’s 2025 creative theme, “Rise Above,” a campaign celebrating unlocking human potential, pushing the boundaries and going beyond the norms in the pursuit of greatness — values exemplified by Ronaldo and mirrored by the athletes competing across 25 tournaments this summer.

The event will also offer visitors a great opportunity to enjoy Saudi Arabia’s famous hospitality and the unique blend of heritage and world-class entertainment.

The Kingdom has invested heavily in sport over the last few years, bringing high-profile tennis, golf and boxing events to the country apart from the Formula One race.

Esports, which made its debut as a medal event at the Asian Games in 2023, has become very popular in Saudi Arabia as the Gulf country is also preparing to host the maiden Esports Olympics in 2027.

“The first edition of the Olympic Esports Games, a landmark event both in the world of esports and within the Olympic Movement, will be held in 2027 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,” the IOC said in a statement.

“The Road to the Games with the first Olympic competitions will already start this year.”

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — As the popularity of video gaming continues to explode, Middle Tennessee State University is offering two new esports concentrations this fall that will teach students about aesthetics, ethics, marketing and technology needed to create gaming-related content and streams.

“Esports” is competitive video gaming, and like any other sport, there are multiple levels of competition ranging from high school and collegiate to professional teams that compete in front of packed arenas and are broadcast to global audiences.

The development of the two MTSU undergraduate concentrations — Esports and Gaming Content Creation housed in the College of Media and Entertainment and Esports Coaching offered by Leisure and Sport Management in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences — has been a collaborative effort with stakeholders across campus to give students pathways to the needed skills and a degree for an industry that was previously unavailable in the region.

“Students will have the opportunity to learn about the variety of skills needed in the esports industry and learn specialized skills in areas in which they want to focus,” said Richard Lewis, esports and content creation coordinator associate professor. “There are hands-on experience opportunities working with the MTSU Esports club and a number of community organizations while earning their degree.”

According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual pay for a job in the esports industry in the United States is $156,348 a year. Jobs can range from a professional player, content creator, influencer, broadcast manager, social media manager, talent manager, team publicist, coaching, assistant coach, events manager, general manager, game analyst, commissioner and more.

Lewis said the MTSU concentrations will provide esports players with valuable skills in creating content and revenue streams. Students will also choose from minors to give them specific skills within their professional interests.

Students will also have access to the Level Up Arena, which opened last fall on the second floor of the Student Union Building for students across campus, and the Gaming Lab, located in the BAS S137F, created in 2023 in a collaboration between the College of Media and Entertainment, Jones College of Business and MTSU’s Information Technology Division that is equipped with gaming PCs and Nintendo Switch consoles.

“The Level Up Arena will offer real-world opportunities for esports students to broadcast competitions with professional equipment.

The Media and Entertainment degree program’s Esports and Gaming Content Creation concentration teaches students about the aesthetics, ethics, marketing and technology needed to create gaming-related content and streams.

The Esports Coaching concentration under Leisure and Sport Management uses the core interdisciplinary courses but dives deeper into the skills needed to be an esports coach at the high school, collegiate or professional level.

Gaming in K–12 Classrooms Is Powering the Future Tech Workforce

In classrooms across the country, the sounds of buzzing drones, simulated tactical missions, and virtual racing engines now permeate the air. 

While perhaps not yet as common as the rustle of notebooks or the scratch of a No. 2 pencil, these high-tech, immersive learning experiences aren’t just about play. They’re giving students hands-on career training in futuristic technology by tapping into something they already love — gaming — to provide cutting-edge instruction that prepares them for the high-tech workforce of tomorrow.

Gone are the days when “gamification” meant simply turning vocabulary practice or math flashcards into a digital quiz game. Today’s most forward-thinking schools are using gaming as a platform to train students for real-world roles in fields like aviation, robotics, remote operations, and data center management, with no four-year degree required. 

From Classroom to Career Without the College Debt

With one-third of the required skills for the average job having changed over the last three years, particularly in the STEM fields, education is scrambling to keep pace. That means at least one-third of the skills second-year college students are learning right now could be obsolete by the time they graduate.

This, alongside the rising cost of a four-year degree, has prompted many students to shift toward vocational programs designed to prepare them for high-demand careers directly after high school. Much like traditional vo-tech programs that train students how to become electricians and auto mechanics, these new high-tech curricula give students a launchpad into industries like public safety, defense, and infrastructure.

For example, demand for drone operators is already skyrocketing, and the job market for game designers is expected to grow by nearly 10% through next year. Careers in robotics are some of the most lucrative and future-proof as automation, AI, systems integration, and electronics drive increasing need for software and mechanical engineers and operators.

In some schools, drone racing is training students in remote piloting, data acquisition, and reconnaissance — vital public safety and defense industry skills. Others are leveraging racing simulators to help students master split-second decision-making before applying those skills to real-world vehicles. 

Robotics programs are using familiar gaming controllers to teach students how to operate machinery, interact with sensors, and even simulate tasks as complex as loading materials onto river barges or assisting bomb squads with robotic dogs. In fact, agencies like the New York Fire Department already employ drone pilots and robotics operators — roles that didn’t exist even in schools or the job market a decade ago. 

By starting this type of training at the K–12 level, students gain advanced skills early to give them an edge in the job market for a fast-track career path to employment in fields that need talent now. 

Immersive Tech Builds Critical Thinking & Collaboration

Beyond technical skills, gaming-centric programs foster critical thinking, strategic decision-making, collaboration, and even boost literacy skills in ways traditional classroom instruction can’t. Whether navigating a virtual battlefield or designing a drone flight plan, students must adapt, think ahead, and respond quickly — essential skills in both digital and “analog” careers.

Revolving Games has announced a new title just before the official launch of its $RCADE token. The studio will publish a mobile game called GTFO, built in partnership with RCADE Network and the creators behind MEATBAGS, the meme-driven digital brand that has made waves with its quirky and culture-heavy humor. The news comes a few days before Revolving’s $RCADE TGE, set for July 9.

This new title arrives just ahead of Revolving Games’ $RCADE TGE. This token launch has been years in the making. The initial roadmap targeted Q1 2025, then moved to May 22, before being delayed again in late May to finalize key partnerships. The company eventually confirmed the July 9 date, with the token acting as a key part of Revolving’s growing web3 game ecosystem.

The $RCADE token is designed to power the broader RCADE Network, which the team describes as a new layer of player-owned infrastructure. The platform is being built to connect players, developers, and IPs through a shared rewards system and unified publishing flow.

“6+ years in the making, $RCADE launches July 9; TGE is just the beginning,” Revolving wrote.

Building Games First, Then Web3

According to the team, the studio’s publishing strategy has remained clear: focus on making fun, working games first, and then add blockchain features later. This approach is led by Ammar and Saad Zaeem, co-founders of Revolving Games. The team believes that this player-first model will help win over players before introducing the web3 layer.

“In our philosophy for web3, we feel the layers of web3 around ownership and decentralization should come after you’ve created the fun and the funnel of user acquisition, which we proved with War of Nova,” said Ammar Zaeem in a recent interview with GamesBeat.

According to Zaeem, the goal has always been to build trust and credibility by shipping real games instead of overhyping the blockchain features from the start.

War of Nova Leads the Way

The studio’s most successful release so far is War of Nova, a sci-fi strategy game where players command fleets in a real-time MMO. The game launched on iOS and Android and has since become Revolving’s top-performing title.

In the first 45 days, War of Nova reached high retention numbers (45% Day 1, 38% Day 3, and 26% Day 7) and session lengths of over 30 minutes. Forty percent of revenue comes from app stores, and the game is expected to hit $30 million in annual revenue.

Its next season, featuring new content, is set to drop in August.

Other Games in the Revolving Portfolio

Outside of War of Nova, Revolving has also published a pair of casual games. HatchKings, a slot RPG game similar to Coin Master, made $1.4 million in 10 days. Another title, Hatchlings, is a web-based collectible pet game with Tamagotchi-style mechanics.

Skyborne: Genesis was launched previously, but the game is not live. However, the studio has a new flagship title coming soon under the Skyborne name. Skyborne: Phoenix Flight is a fantasy role-playing game described as “Zelda meets Animal Crossing.” It’s designed to mix casual play with deeper investing and expression mechanics familiar to fans of games like those from Zynga.

“The beauty is we’re generating revenue in web3, which is great, and we haven’t scaled it yet,” said Ammar Zaeem.

Revolving plans to launch Skyborne: Phoenix Flight later this year.

Aiming for Long-Term Growth

Revolving Games has reported over 700K installs across its games and more than 40K paying players. The studio is backed by major web3 investors including Pantera Capital, Animoca Brands, Polygon, and Rockstar Games co-creator Dan Houser.

With nearly $50 million raised since 2019, Revolving says its infrastructure is now ready for scale. The company is based in San Francisco but has much of its 150-person team in Pakistan, where the Zaeem brothers first started in games with their earlier studio Caramel Tech.

They sold that company in 2017 and later founded Revolving to focus on blockchain games and their own original IP.

“Four years ago, we set out to build games that people actually want to play and it still remains the mission,” said Saad Zaeem.

Vision for Web3 Publishing

With the launch of GTFO and the $RCADE token, Revolving is entering what it calls its next growth phase. That includes expanding the RCADE Network to support more IP partnerships and delivering new live service content and player rewards.

“These numbers are more than just proof points. They signal what many have questioned – that web3 games can, in fact, break into the mainstream,” said Ammar Zaeem.

Revolving says that with its mix of games, tools, and community, it hopes to become the “Supercell of web3.” It’s a bold goal, but one grounded in games that already show solid performance and real-world traction.

The team is now focused on ensuring GTFO launches smoothly, the $RCADE TGE proceeds as planned, and future releases like Skyborne continue to attract real players.