Students from across the United States and Canada are hereby invited to storm the Nexus as proud representatives of their schools in Blizzard Entertainment and Tespa’s 2016 Heroes of the Dorm^™ competition! Heroes of the Dorm is the ultimate collegiate esports tournament, bringing Heroes of the Storm players together from colleges and universities coast-to-coast, with members of the winning team earning free tuition for the rest of their college careers! Eligible students can create or join a team today by heading to www.heroesofthedorm.com.

Esports fans will be able to follow the action on ESPN networks, where live coverage of the events will be delivered on television and digital platforms—including early rounds on ESPN3, as well as the Grand Finals telecast on ESPN2. Viewers will also have a chance to cheer on their favorite schools and win prizes of their own in the Heroes of the Dorm bracket challenge, which kicks off in the weeks ahead. Altogether, more than $500,000 in tuition and other prizes is on the line as part of this year’s event.

Makin’ It Rain Tuition Money (and More)

When the Grand Finals conclude, and the 2016 Heroes of the Dorm champion is crowned, each player on the winning team will walk away with up to $75,000 in tuition for their college career, including:

• First-Year Undergraduate Students: Up to $25,000 per year for three years
• Second-year Undergraduate Students: Up to $25,000 per year for two years
• Third-year or later Undergraduate Students: Up to $25,000 to cover one year of tuition or student loans
• First-year Graduate Students: Up to $25,000 per year for two years
• Second-year or later Graduate Students: Up to $25,000 to cover one year of tuition or student loans
• In addition, one substitute player per team will win up to $25,000 for one year

Students interested in playing in this year’s tournament should get their teams together quickly—registration is open now through February 18, with online qualifiers taking place between February 20 and March 6. To create or join a team, or to find complete official rules, eligibility details, and prizing details, visit www.heroesofthedorm.com. 

Watch Live on ESPN Networks

The inaugural Heroes of the Dorm tournament in 2015 marked the first time in history that a collegiate esports event was telecast live on ESPN2. Teams from more than 460 schools battled through grueling elimination rounds on a quest to claim the championship. All the intense action of this year’s Heroes of the Dorm competition, starting with the Round of 64, will be available for viewing, live on digital platforms and on television, through a renewed agreement with ESPN. The Round of 64, Round of 32, Round of 16, and Round of 8 portions of the tournament will be streamed online on ESPN3 across digital platforms and also on Twitch and YouTube™. The “Heroic Four” and Grand Finals showdowns will take place in front of a live audience, and will be aired on ESPN networks on April 9 and 10— be sure to watch live, because this is an esports event you won’t want to miss! 

ESPN coverage of the event will also be available online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through connected devices. Additional programming details, including when you can watch VODs on YouTube to catch any matches you may have missed, will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Play the Heroes of the Dorm Bracket Challenge

Even if you’re not a college student, you’ll still be able to show your school spirit—and compete for a shot at winning great prizes in the process—by participating in this year’s Heroes of the Dorm bracket challenge. The bracket challenge invites esports fans around the world to predict which of the top 64 teams will emerge victorious, and then share their brackets with friends and rivals, with $10,000 USD going to the most accurate bracket. More information on this year’s bracket challenge, including rules and complete prizing information, will be announced closer to the start of the Round of 64.

Cheer on your favorite schools this year by tuning in live on digital platforms, and on television, to catch every takedown and team fight as top collegiate teams battle to earn tuition. If you’re eligible to compete, don’t forget that you can register your team right now, through February 18, on www.heroesofthedorm.com, and be sure to stay tuned for more information as we approach the qualifiers next month. Until then, study up on your hero and talent picks, and we’ll see YOU in the Nexus!