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������Ƶ marketing junior and esports gamer Juan Sierra recently headed to the world stage.

Sierra qualified to represent Team Colombia in the , and competed in South Korea in front of tens of thousands of fans and an estimated online audience of about 100,000 viewers.

The Overwatch World Cup is an international esports tournament where the best Overwatch players represented their countries instead of their professional teams. It began in 2016, with South Korea dominating the early years, winning three straight championships, while the United States won in 2019. The tournament returned in 2023 after a four-year break and was separate from the regular professional Overwatch league/series.

The event took place in South Korea Aug. 20-23. Although the result wasn’t what he had hoped for, it didn’t overshadow the fact that he was one of just three collegiate players in the country competing in the tournament, and the only one representing a team other than Team USA.

To think it all began with a humble beginning.

“I actually started with golf simulators before getting into real golf, which eventually led me to video games and Overwatch,” he said. “I originally started playing because of the Overwatch League, which was a huge tournament series that Blizzard held for several years.”

The Overwatch World Cup (OWWC) is like the traditional Olympics, with each country allowed to field only one team. Because of his strong reputation, Sierra was invited to try out for Team Colombia and earned a starting role as a damage player, one of two team members primarily responsible for offensive pressure.

Each team consists of one tank, two damage players and two support players.

“His teammates and coaches are extremely proud of his accomplishments and have followed his journey through the qualifiers and the entire esports team plans to hold a watch party to support him as he competes on the national stage,” said Director of Esports P.J. Farrell. “He is highly regarded as both a student and a player, and the program is thrilled to see him reach this achievement.”

Farrell said Sierra’s greatest strength is his ability to communicate, a skill that has helped set him apart as a player and propel him onto the international stage.

“Listening to him explain strategies, walking the team through replays, calmly disagreeing with teammates and explaining why something cannot work,” said Farrell. “I would also harp on his humility, he is one of the most respected players on the team and in the program, simply because he doesn't ever put himself above anyone else; the team and competition are always #1.”

Sierra’s impact at ������Ƶ was evident from the start, helping the team progress from a competitive program to one ranked among the top five Overwatch programs nationally.

“His impact has been immediate, and we are so proud to have him in our program,” said Farrell.  “Our entire esports team has been following his journey through the qualifiers, and we're planning a watch party together to watch him on the national stage online.  I'm beyond excited for him, and it couldn't happen to a nicer student and player.”

Sierra said ������Ƶ was always at the top of his list because of its wide variety of majors, housing options and esports opportunities, all of which have played a major role in his college experience.

“Since my second year of college, I have transferred from college to college looking for the best opportunities, and I think I have finally found my forever home at ������Ƶ,” he said. “������Ƶ has given me the opportunity to attend collegiate LAN events (large-scale, in-person gaming competitions hosted on a college or university campus), meet tons of new people in the community and be a part of something bigger than myself.”