By Ethan Holtzinger | Cronkite News

PHOENIX — The year 2020 was unlike any other.

On March 11, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and suddenly nothing was the same.

Masks became mandatory, social distancing was enforced and stepping outside felt like a last resort. While most aspects of daily life suffered, a select few thrived.

Of these rare quarantine successes, one of the most prominent was esports. As the worlds of business, education and even traditional sports struggled to stay afloat, the esports industry found itself in the midst of its own perfect storm. The lockdown forced people to turn toward technology and the internet more than ever, which put esports in a prime position for growth.

Consumer spending on video games, gaming hardware, software and accessories reached a record high of $10 billion in March, according to SuperData, a Nielsen company that has analyzed the gaming industry since 2009.

“Digital spending has been gradually going up year-over-year, but this is the biggest month we’ve ever seen,” SuperData principal analyst Carter Rogers told TheWrap in April 2020.

Estimates from Newzoo, a gaming industry analytics firm, put the esports industry at just over $950 million in global revenue by the end of 2020. Newzoo approximated that about 61% of earned revenue came from sponsorships, 17% from media rights, 11% from publisher fees, 6% from ticket and merchandise sales, and the remaining 5% from digital content and streaming.

However, spin the wheel forward five years and a lot has changed.

The world has gradually returned to normal, technology has evolved, and several new esports titles have emerged. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the main question.

Participation growth

The global esports market is projected to be valued at $3.4 billion by the end of 2025, which is approximately a 21% increase from the previous year and a whopping 258% increase from 2020, according to Statista, a German online platform that specializes in data gathering and visualization. Statista projects revenue from the esports betting market alone to hit the $2.8 billion dollar mark at the end of the year, nearly three times the $1 billion amount totaled five years ago.

Obviously, this type of growth is largely thanks to a significant increase in audience size. Statista estimates 2025 will see an increase to 318 million esports enthusiasts (regular viewers) compared to 215 million in 2020.

Jason Lake, the founder and CEO of Complexity Gaming – the sister esports team of the Dallas Cowboys – predicted this explosion years ago when the pandemic was still in its early stages.

“We’re going to continue to see this growth in player base and viewership that (has) been growing exponentially over the past decade,” Lake told TheWrap in April 2020. “Ironically, this crazy quarantine we’ve been stuck in has exposed games to entire demographics that might not have picked them up — they run out of Netflix or Hulu shows and want to know what else they can do.”

Beyond the numbers

The numbers are nice to look at, but they’re not the only aspect of the industry that has evolved over the past few years. Newer titles like Valorant, which ranks in the top five most viewed esports games this year along with League of Legends and Counter-Strike, have skyrocketed in the esports world in recent years.

Mobile gaming has also seen a huge surge in popularity as of late, as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang sits at the top of that same list. The mobile esports scene is much more accessible and affordable than the alternatives, which means competitive players are no longer confined to traditional gaming platforms.

This year also has a strong chance of being the right time for college esports programs to take the next step forward. The industry is noticing increased investment at the collegiate level, and some of the bigger esports brands are even offering college scholarships to top players.

Connor Rawls, a research specialist from ASU’s School of Arts Media and Engineering who runs the Esports Lounge at Arizona State, has high hopes for ASU’s esports program in 2025.

“During COVID, we saw the in-person side of things really go down,” Rawls said. “Now we’re getting good participation again, and in the years since, it feels like there’s really been more attention and more of an audience around the program. Esports at ASU is looking good this year, and so is the whole industry.”

The increased support that the industry has received at the college level doesn’t surprise senior Phaelen Bride, the event coordinator at ASU’s Esports Lounge. She thinks investing in esports would be a smart move for any university.

“It’s only going to get more popular, and it brings in a lot of money,” Bride said. “Investing would be beneficial to any college that’s interested, and this would definitely be the best time to do it.”

Pandemic predicaments

The pandemic benefited esports in numerous ways, but there were still plenty of obstacles the industry had to endure. The transition to quarantine in the competitive gaming world wasn’t as easy as it would seem. There were still several issues that needed to be solved, especially for high school programs with an unforgiving budget.

“We learned that from-home play is not really reliable,” said Kenya Corrigan, coach of Gilbert High School’s esports program which started in 2019. “We were creating systems out of nothing. Our schools weren’t ready, our networks weren’t ready and we had to educate a lot of our community that not all computers can run esports games.”

Corrigan was aware of the industry’s potential for growth during the pandemic. For her, it was just a matter of getting through the early roadblocks. Five years later, high school esports programs are stronger than ever, but they are facing new problems that emerged during the switch back to in-person schooling.

“It did feel a little bit more like a club once we came back, compared to the other programs that started up again, and I think that some schools still kind of struggle with that,” Corrigan said. “It’s about treating your program like a sport, but a lot of students and parents are used to video games being more of a casual thing, which makes it a lot more difficult.”

In-person esports tournaments might have taken the biggest hit in 2020 as far as the industry is concerned. Live events were called off, lockdowns forced fans to tune in from home and although in-person tournaments have been brought back, they still haven’t fully recovered.

Players had to continue playing at high levels while adapting to different online formats and having their usual training routines altered. Sponsorship deals were more unstable than ever amid economic uncertainty. The only aspect that improved was online viewership, surging from the occasional entertainment drought during quarantine.

Bride is just grateful the esports in-person tournament scene came back at all.

“Oh, it’s so nice to be able to watch in person again,” Bride said. “The pandemic was a rough time because you could really only tune in online, but now it’s back and I’m so happy. Now players can hear the fans cheering in the background again, and that just makes the tournaments so much better and more fun for everyone involved.”

Technology five years later

By this point, it’s clear that the entire landscape of the esports industry has changed within the past five years, and technology has been no exception.

Gamers are now offered high-powered hardware and peripherals that allow for faster response times than ever before and seamless game play. Available software and game development continue to improve each year, and now 5G technology boasts a more reliable connection along with lower latency.

Blockchain technology is also rising in relevance, introducing alternative models for competitive gaming that focus more on economic participation and player ownership. When incorporated into the world of gaming, Web3 technology has shifted more attention toward play-to-earn tournament structures that include cryptocurrency rewards, as well as NFT-based character ownership and trading systems.

Virtual reality also seems to have its own future in esports. VR headsets and sensors allow the player to move, engage and think tactically in the third dimension. This introduces a new type of immersion that was previously thought unattainable.

Special Olympics Arizona has its own esports program currently testing a virtual cycling prototype that translates real world movement into a virtual character that can compete in races with others around the world. Jameson Gorman, Special Olympics Arizona’s unified esports consultant, believes that VR is the future of the industry.

“I think that VR in the world of esports will become the norm as technology advances and at-home VR becomes more affordable to the average consumer,” Gorman said. “I have already dabbled with VR, and it was breathtaking having that form of technology.

“In my ideal world, VR would look a lot like it does in the movie ‘Ready Player One.’ People can use their VR headsets for any type of game, with the inclusion of a passthrough mode that allows for seamless viewing between the game and what’s in front of you.”

Leaving quarantine behind

As the world moves on from the COVID-19 pandemic, the esports scene does the same. Five years ago, the industry was just beginning its rise to mainstream success. Now, it’s right in the thick of it, and competitive gaming has immersed itself in high school and college campuses around the world as it continues to grow.

The industry has seen a dramatic uptick in overall participation since quarantine, and it has secured a much more prominent role in betting markets as well. Advancements in technology and a constantly evolving audience base ensure that esports will only improve from here. The industry’s future is getting brighter each day.

“I think esports will continue to advance into mainstream media as more and more people recognize the skill, creativity, dedication and teamwork it requires,” Gorman said. “I think the possibilities are really endless with where esports can go and what the next big idea will be.”

CRESSON, Pa. – Mount Aloysius College’s Cosgrave Student Center was brimming with high school students from across Pennsylvania Sunday as the teenagers used their finely honed skills to take home esports championships for their districts.

“They’re having a blast, and so am I,” Mount esports coach and organizer Sean Steffy said.

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He added that it was exciting to see Cosgrave come alive with the students and families there to support them.

This was the first time the college has hosted the two-day Pennsylvania Interscholastic Esports Association finals. There were 215 players from 36 schools on campus to play Rocket League, Valorant, Overwatch and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Locally, Central Cambria, Forest Hills and Westmont Hilltop high schools sent teams to compete against peers from Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Altoona, Scranton, Lancaster and beyond.

Although the Division 2 and Division 3 championships were decided Saturday with winners from outside the area, Forest Hills’ Rocket League team made it to the final round against Biglerville High School.

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The matchup was a rematch of last year’s semifinal round, which Forest Hills lost.

Rangers esports coach Ben Grove said history unfortunately repeated itself Sunday.

Grove’s team lost to to their rivals in a 4-2 final, and Biglerville successfully defended its state title in the game.

“Still a good outing,” Grove said.

The matches were close with the final two going into overtime.,

Grove said it was a rough loss but a hard-fought battle for his students.

“This is the furthest we’ve ever made it,” he added. “It’s a big moment for our club and our school.”

Two of Grove’s top players – senior Jadon Staines and freshman Blake Shilcosky – competed against the visiting team.

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Staines’ high school career ended after the finals, but Grove said he was excited for Shilcosky to step up in the fall and become captain of the team.

Shilcosky said he started playing Rocket League during the COVID-19 pandemic and never expected to get to the state finals as a freshman.

He admitted he was somewhat nervous but ready to play.

“I don’t really get psyched out over stuff like this,” Shilcosky said. “I just go with the flow.”

He also was settled by the support of his family, who were in the viewing area watching his games.

Shilcosky’s parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and family friends showed up to cheer him on.

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“Super-proud of all the hard work,” the player’s father, Derek Shilcosky, said.

Luke Williams,an esportscaster who broadcasts as Llama77, said the competition on display was awesome.

He said there were a lot of talented players facing off in the contest and commentating on it has “been a lot of fun.”

The matches were played at the Mountie Esports Arena on the ground floor of Cosgrave, with a viewing area in one of the conference rooms and all-star players facing off in Super Smash Bros. in the cafeteria.

Between games, students played rounds of ping-pong, ate, chatted, took tours of campus and watched others compete.

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Steffy said hosting the two-day event was a special moment for everyone involved and a great showing for esports throughout the region.

Division 1 winners were Biglerville for Rocket League; Lower Moreland High School for Valorant; and South Fayette High School for Overwatch.

Division 2 champions were Elizabethtown Area High School for Overwatch; Bayard Rustin High School for Valorant; and Pine Grove High School for Rocket League.

Division 3 winners were Montgomery Area High School for Rocket League; Wyoming Valley West High School for Valorant; and Pine Grove Area High School for Overwatch.

Garnet Valley High School was the Super Smash Bros. team winner for Division 2. The Division 3 champion for the game was Mountain View High School.

The Division 1 winner for Super Smash Bros. teams was Nazareth Area High School, with players from Penns Manor and Holy Ghost high schools taking the Super Smash Bros. individual titles.

How do brands “show up” in meaningful ways in the lives of Gen Z consumers? Get yourself to gaming platforms.

That’s the key focus of a burgeoning unit within advertising giant Havas that aims to take audience targeting to new levels by tapping into gaming communities and social networks built around fandom and esports.

Angelique Hernandez, VP and portfolio lead for Havas Play, and Jarell Thompson, VP of gaming for Havas Play, explained in detail how their teams hunt for good opportunities to connect brands with gamer culture. This episode of Variety’s “Strictly Business” podcast is a good warmup for the Cannes Lions festival, set to unfold June 16-20 in Cannes, France. That event is all about the connection of brands, marketers, advertisers and — increasingly — the influencers and social media creators who can reach elusive young consumers. Variety will be there in force.

Listen to the full podcast:

Hernandez said that in the world of online gaming communities, creators have options now, and that’s another telling sign about the evolution of the marketplace.

“They don’t necessarily have to have a brand partnership, right? They can make money on their own. There are all these platforms now that allow them to do that,” Hernandez said in a conversation held as part of the annual Variety Entertainment Marketing Summit in April. “You also have companies, whether they’re brands or even social platforms, that turn to them because now, not only are they experts in what their audience likes to see and hear and talk about, they’re also experts on the platform themselves, like creators know how to use TikTok and Instagram.”

Of course, where digital advertising is concerned, brand safety is always a concern. Thompson detailed the filters and process that Havas Play employs to find the best matches and avoid the landmines of something going viral for the wrong reasons.

“We have a really in-depth process where we vet creators. We have a lot of systems in place where we like do a lot of digging. We make sure that we’re connecting the right brands to the right creators, and we’re doing our due diligence to ensure that like their brand, safe, or if they’re relevant for the brand,” Thompson said. “Because honestly, some brands might make sense for certain creators who may be a little bit edgy, might be a little bit risque, but for some like the financial brands that we work with, we need to make sure that we honestly match with everyone who is the most brand safe and makes sense for the right audience.”

In a separate conversation, Shab Azma, CEO of founder of talent management firm ARC Collective, offered the perspective of creators and expert influencers who are being heavily courted for brand partnerships. What social media platforms offer is unfettered ownership and control of the content, and that’s very appealing.

“We really are focused a lot right now on ownership. There’s a time and a place for traditional television, but that is breaking,” Azma said. “It’s gridlocked, and digital natives are creating content that is just as well produced as what as we’ve seen on television. They can take bigger swings.”

Azma continued, “That’s why not every influencer is really looking to be in traditional entertainment — because they understand the power that they hold within their creator community. For us, we’re really nurturing that in many ways. We really have found that there’s a flywheel and our talent becomes the nucleus for doing podcasts, live streaming, events, publishing, consumer products — all the things that they get to retain ownership in.”

“Strictly Business” is Variety’s weekly podcast featuring conversations with industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment. (Please click here to subscribe to our free newsletter.) New episodes debut every Wednesday and can be downloaded at Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud and more.

(Pictured: Variety‘s Cynthia Littleton and Havas Play’s Angelique Hernandez and Jarell Thompson)

By Ethan Holtzinger | Cronkite News

PHOENIX — The year 2020 was unlike any other.

On March 11, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and suddenly nothing was the same.

Masks became mandatory, social distancing was enforced and stepping outside felt like a last resort. While most aspects of daily life suffered, a select few thrived.

Of these rare quarantine successes, one of the most prominent was esports. As the worlds of business, education and even traditional sports struggled to stay afloat, the esports industry found itself in the midst of its own perfect storm. The lockdown forced people to turn toward technology and the internet more than ever, which put esports in a prime position for growth.

Consumer spending on video games, gaming hardware, software and accessories reached a record high of $10 billion in March, according to SuperData, a Nielsen company that has analyzed the gaming industry since 2009.

“Digital spending has been gradually going up year-over-year, but this is the biggest month we’ve ever seen,” SuperData principal analyst Carter Rogers told TheWrap in April 2020.

Estimates from Newzoo, a gaming industry analytics firm, put the esports industry at just over $950 million in global revenue by the end of 2020. Newzoo approximated that about 61% of earned revenue came from sponsorships, 17% from media rights, 11% from publisher fees, 6% from ticket and merchandise sales, and the remaining 5% from digital content and streaming.

However, spin the wheel forward five years and a lot has changed.

The world has gradually returned to normal, technology has evolved, and several new esports titles have emerged. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the main question.

Participation growth

The global esports market is projected to be valued at $3.4 billion by the end of 2025, which is approximately a 21% increase from the previous year and a whopping 258% increase from 2020, according to Statista, a German online platform that specializes in data gathering and visualization. Statista projects revenue from the esports betting market alone to hit the $2.8 billion dollar mark at the end of the year, nearly three times the $1 billion amount totaled five years ago.

Obviously, this type of growth is largely thanks to a significant increase in audience size. Statista estimates 2025 will see an increase to 318 million esports enthusiasts (regular viewers) compared to 215 million in 2020.

Jason Lake, the founder and CEO of Complexity Gaming – the sister esports team of the Dallas Cowboys – predicted this explosion years ago when the pandemic was still in its early stages.

“We’re going to continue to see this growth in player base and viewership that (has) been growing exponentially over the past decade,” Lake told TheWrap in April 2020. “Ironically, this crazy quarantine we’ve been stuck in has exposed games to entire demographics that might not have picked them up — they run out of Netflix or Hulu shows and want to know what else they can do.”

Beyond the numbers

The numbers are nice to look at, but they’re not the only aspect of the industry that has evolved over the past few years. Newer titles like Valorant, which ranks in the top five most viewed esports games this year along with League of Legends and Counter-Strike, have skyrocketed in the esports world in recent years.

Mobile gaming has also seen a huge surge in popularity as of late, as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang sits at the top of that same list. The mobile esports scene is much more accessible and affordable than the alternatives, which means competitive players are no longer confined to traditional gaming platforms.

This year also has a strong chance of being the right time for college esports programs to take the next step forward. The industry is noticing increased investment at the collegiate level, and some of the bigger esports brands are even offering college scholarships to top players.

Connor Rawls, a research specialist from ASU’s School of Arts Media and Engineering who runs the Esports Lounge at Arizona State, has high hopes for ASU’s esports program in 2025.

“During COVID, we saw the in-person side of things really go down,” Rawls said. “Now we’re getting good participation again, and in the years since, it feels like there’s really been more attention and more of an audience around the program. Esports at ASU is looking good this year, and so is the whole industry.”

The increased support that the industry has received at the college level doesn’t surprise senior Phaelen Bride, the event coordinator at ASU’s Esports Lounge. She thinks investing in esports would be a smart move for any university.

“It’s only going to get more popular, and it brings in a lot of money,” Bride said. “Investing would be beneficial to any college that’s interested, and this would definitely be the best time to do it.”

Pandemic predicaments

The pandemic benefited esports in numerous ways, but there were still plenty of obstacles the industry had to endure. The transition to quarantine in the competitive gaming world wasn’t as easy as it would seem. There were still several issues that needed to be solved, especially for high school programs with an unforgiving budget.

“We learned that from-home play is not really reliable,” said Kenya Corrigan, coach of Gilbert High School’s esports program which started in 2019. “We were creating systems out of nothing. Our schools weren’t ready, our networks weren’t ready and we had to educate a lot of our community that not all computers can run esports games.”

Corrigan was aware of the industry’s potential for growth during the pandemic. For her, it was just a matter of getting through the early roadblocks. Five years later, high school esports programs are stronger than ever, but they are facing new problems that emerged during the switch back to in-person schooling.

“It did feel a little bit more like a club once we came back, compared to the other programs that started up again, and I think that some schools still kind of struggle with that,” Corrigan said. “It’s about treating your program like a sport, but a lot of students and parents are used to video games being more of a casual thing, which makes it a lot more difficult.”

In-person esports tournaments might have taken the biggest hit in 2020 as far as the industry is concerned. Live events were called off, lockdowns forced fans to tune in from home and although in-person tournaments have been brought back, they still haven’t fully recovered.

Players had to continue playing at high levels while adapting to different online formats and having their usual training routines altered. Sponsorship deals were more unstable than ever amid economic uncertainty. The only aspect that improved was online viewership, surging from the occasional entertainment drought during quarantine.

Bride is just grateful the esports in-person tournament scene came back at all.

“Oh, it’s so nice to be able to watch in person again,” Bride said. “The pandemic was a rough time because you could really only tune in online, but now it’s back and I’m so happy. Now players can hear the fans cheering in the background again, and that just makes the tournaments so much better and more fun for everyone involved.”

Technology five years later

By this point, it’s clear that the entire landscape of the esports industry has changed within the past five years, and technology has been no exception.

Gamers are now offered high-powered hardware and peripherals that allow for faster response times than ever before and seamless game play. Available software and game development continue to improve each year, and now 5G technology boasts a more reliable connection along with lower latency.

Blockchain technology is also rising in relevance, introducing alternative models for competitive gaming that focus more on economic participation and player ownership. When incorporated into the world of gaming, Web3 technology has shifted more attention toward play-to-earn tournament structures that include cryptocurrency rewards, as well as NFT-based character ownership and trading systems.

Virtual reality also seems to have its own future in esports. VR headsets and sensors allow the player to move, engage and think tactically in the third dimension. This introduces a new type of immersion that was previously thought unattainable.

Special Olympics Arizona has its own esports program currently testing a virtual cycling prototype that translates real world movement into a virtual character that can compete in races with others around the world. Jameson Gorman, Special Olympics Arizona’s unified esports consultant, believes that VR is the future of the industry.

“I think that VR in the world of esports will become the norm as technology advances and at-home VR becomes more affordable to the average consumer,” Gorman said. “I have already dabbled with VR, and it was breathtaking having that form of technology.

“In my ideal world, VR would look a lot like it does in the movie ‘Ready Player One.’ People can use their VR headsets for any type of game, with the inclusion of a passthrough mode that allows for seamless viewing between the game and what’s in front of you.”

Leaving quarantine behind

As the world moves on from the COVID-19 pandemic, the esports scene does the same. Five years ago, the industry was just beginning its rise to mainstream success. Now, it’s right in the thick of it, and competitive gaming has immersed itself in high school and college campuses around the world as it continues to grow.

The industry has seen a dramatic uptick in overall participation since quarantine, and it has secured a much more prominent role in betting markets as well. Advancements in technology and a constantly evolving audience base ensure that esports will only improve from here. The industry’s future is getting brighter each day.

“I think esports will continue to advance into mainstream media as more and more people recognize the skill, creativity, dedication and teamwork it requires,” Gorman said. “I think the possibilities are really endless with where esports can go and what the next big idea will be.”

Photos by Ralph Freso

On Monday, Chris Perez became the first high school graduate in his family but warned his excited parents, eager to celebrate, that he might have to skip out if the ceremony ran long.

His future already was beginning by midday at Grand Canyon University, the first day of an 11-week Manufacturing Specialist Intensive pathway, and he didn’t want to be late.

Pass the four classes and Perez could begin work as a technician at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), making chips that make the world spin.

Perez made it through his entire graduation, then rushed to his first day in the summer cohort that launched GCU Center for Workforce Development’s partnership with one of the largest semiconductor plants in the U.S., a behemoth compound rising in the last four years along Interstate 303 that has changed the face of the north Valley.

He joined 21 others in this first cohort, and TSMC is hoping GCU can help prep as many as 200 workers in the pathway each year.

Most are young men who just finished high school, like Perez, who sat outside the classroom Tuesday morning awaiting his second day of afternoon classes.

“My dad does concrete, and I worked with him every now and then, and even this morning he was like, ‘hey, let’s go,’ and I’m like, ‘yeah, I have to do homework.’ And my grandpa, he drives trucks. So that’s what I was raised from.

“They’re all like, ‘This is a really good opportunity.’”

Not bad for a student who dropped out of high school as a freshman and returned as a junior. “I worked hard to get here,” he said. “I’m just happy to be here.”

TSMC gathered and vetted the first cohort’s students but has turned over recruitment and preparation to GCU, said Shelly Seitz, director of GCU Center for Workforce Development, which is also holding a summer cohort in its newly-named Undergraduate Certificate for Electricians.

Seitz said the all-male first cohort is flavored with those who have skills such as “coders and gamers,” and that’s a good thing.

“In America, technician often means you’re working with your hands and making widgets. In Taiwan, a technician role is a computer role. … You’ll go to (the factory) to work with the people in bunny suits if there’s something held up, but predominately everything they do is on two screens at a workstation.

“So they’re playing – the word I heard somebody use – Tetris.”

It’s all part of GCU’s growing plan to fill workforce needs in trades that also includes pathways for electricians and for Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machinists, featuring a working plant on campus (Lux Precision Manufacturing), and the newly-launched pathways in construction.

All told, GCU could see hundreds of students in pathways in the fall, many who find it a welcome alternative to four years of college or service industry work.

“It’s about filling the needs of industry and helping students find their purpose, whether it’s a one-year program in construction, undergraduate in cybersecurity or graduate degrees,” Seitz said. “It’s meeting people where they are, giving people a chance at a career that makes sense to them.

“And they have job security. They have a career. It’s not just a job.”

Dewey Thomas, program developer for the manufacturing intensive, said the cohort will give the participants a great inside look at the industry, including 2 ½ days of visits to the TSMC plant, along with English, math and two courses specific to the trade.

He stressed to the 21 participants on Tuesday, whom he labeled “the go-getter class,” that it is important to be on time and focused and to prize teamwork and communication. They are also expected to carry a B average, a higher standard than some programs, but in the end will have 16 credit hours of college and credentials with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

The participants watched as a gleaming, futuristic video about TSMC pronounced to sweeping music that “the world is a better place because of semiconductors; semiconductors can be better because of us.”

“The MSI pathway will create a great talent pipeline for the manufacturing specialist team to expand,” said Jacque Fan, manufacturing department manager of TSMC Arizona. “We plan to hire 100-200 people from the pathway each year to support our $165 billion investment commitment in TSMC Arizona, and look forward to seeing local talent join us and grow with us together.”

Participant Jason Hsu said his parents were born in Taiwan, and when his mom saw a flyer about TSMC’s need for technicians, encouraged him to apply to GCU’s pathway.

“They probably want me to get an education first, but I think this is like my introduction,” he said. “Most young people are tech oriented but I’m not. I’m more like physics. So this program will be real-world experience, more of an entryway I suppose.”

He hopes to begin work on a four-year degree later, a fitting example of the flexibility of options GCU is touting through its workforce center.

Phoenix Union High School asked for options for recent graduates, and so the workforce center launched a summer cohort in its electrician’s pathway, and roughly 20 are enrolled. In the fall, it will transition to two semesters and provide an option to become a degree-seeking program.

Other additions in the fall include more openings in its CNC pathway because of the expansion of Lux, which will have twice as many CNC machines, and the launch of McCarthy Building Company-sponsored Construction General Pathway. The two-semester pathway will help fill a labor force need in five areas – electrical, concrete, HVAC, mechanical and plumbing.

It means more opportunities for people like Perez, still with beads of sweat on his forehead after the walk to class.

“I’m happy I’m here right now, because it’s really hot outside,” he said. “I just never felt financially lucky. Then I get this opportunity. I’m like, yeah, I’ll take it.

“I’m betting all my chips on this.”

Grand Canyon University senior writer Mike Kilen can be reached at [email protected]

***

Related content:

GCU News: More motivation, more money excite workforce center’s new crop of awardees

GCU News: Center for Workforce Development is growing, changing more lives

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Abu Dhabi University has launched the region’s first Bachelor of Arts in Game Design program.

The new course of study follows a landmark agreement with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, Rubika, and Abu Dhabi Gaming. 

The program offers a wide range of courses, including topics such as emotional intelligence, video game history, and genre-specific studies such as first-person shooters and mobile titles.

Nurturing the next generation 

Abu Dhabi University said the program will launch in August at the start of the academic year.

“Starting August 2025, the programme combines academic excellence, international best practices, and deep industry integration – including structured internships, mentorships and up to 140 funded scholarships over six years,” said the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi in a post. 

“With our partners, we are nurturing a new generation of game designers and advancing Abu Dhabi’s vision as a regional hub for creativity, innovation and digital talent.”

Abu Dhabi has been actively building its gaming and esports ecosystem since the launch of Abu Dhabi Gaming in 2021. 

The initiative was then integrated into the Department of Culture and Tourism in 2023 to help position the Emirates as a global games hub.