Esports Stadium Arlington has established a partnership with the United States Marine Corps (USMC).
As part of the deal, high school and college students that receive an A-grade on their report card will be able to claim a free hour of gaming at the venue.
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The first activation between the two parties was hosted on December 27th. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate event Ultimatum II saw almost 300 players compete across four tournaments that took place over the course of the weekend.
Alongside the tournament, attendees of the event had the opportunity to take a turn on the marksmanship trainer used by the Marine Corps. Participants were able to compete on a number of different courses and earned prizes based of their respective performance.
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Captain Michael Maggitti, Spokesperson for 8th Marine Corps District expressed similarities between service in the Marines and esports: “All gamers, regardless of platform or genre, must face adversity and overcome challenges to succeed. Like Marines, there are battles won both as a team and as an individual that require intellect, resolve and the will to win.”
The Marine Corps Academic Excellence Program is set to begin on January 17th and will run for three months, ending on April 17th.
Esports Insider says: It’s surprising that it has taken this long for the Marine Corps to engage with the esports community considering other Armed Forces have already activated in the space. This particular partnership is a great way of rewarding outstanding academic performance.