A new state-of-the-art esports hub at Conestoga College’s Waterloo campus is giving students a place to come together while providing the school’s two varsity esports teams with a place to train.

The esports hub is on the second floor of the main building at the Waterloo campus. It features 36 super computers and multiple gaming consoles that can be reserved by students.

Anyone who books time on a machine can access a free library of games in the hub.

Six of the 36 computers are dedicated to the Conestoga Condors’ League of Legends and Rocket League athletes for training.

According to Michael Cole, the Condors Rocket League team lead, the hub helps the team practice and compete together in person instead of only online.

Michael Cole practicing in the new Esports Hub at Conestoga College. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)

“Just being able to look down the line of computers and see my teammates, if one of them makes a mistake, it’s easy to look next to me and say ‘no problem, we’ll get it back,’ versus online you can’t really see your teammate’s reactions,” Cole said.

“I’ve been able to meet my fellow players and have them in the hub. The energy is just so much different. It’s good for building team rapport and team chemistry.”

The college started building the hub during the pandemic, saying it was able to put more focus on esports during that time.

“We couldn’t participate in our typical varsity sports and were able to put a…