SCS put much more than glory on the line for Blizzard Entertainment. A New Hero is a thrilling ride into the cutthroat world of college gaming. Helmed by SCS partner and CCO, director Zach Lyons turned the camera on the competitive side of Blizzard’s Heroes of the Dorm, where the push to win stems not from a desire for fame, but for the prize of advancing a new field of sport, as well as having their college tuition paid in full. The result is an unexpectedly fast-paced and suspenseful look at the genre, and demonstrates how the realm of what we consider “sport” is expanding as Esports grow in popularity.
Blizzard Entertainment A New Hero —
The Rise and Reality of ESports
The rise of Esports has been somewhat of an enigma. Can we really take it seriously as a sport? In 2015, Blizzard Entertainment, Tespa, and ESPN collaborated to present Heroes of the Dorm and shocked the world by becoming the biggest collegiate tournament on national television. The following year, they aimed to take the spirit of competition to higher heights. The Webby Award–winning feature-length branded documentary, A New Hero: The Rise of College Esports, tells that story.
Client
Blizzard Entertainment
Project
Heroes of the Dorm
Deliverables
Branded Documentary
MORE THAN
FOR GLORY
At the heart of the documentary is the story of the players—players who experience all the challenges and pressures of competition as more traditional athletes do. The documentary explores the passions and personalities of the players, their loved ones, as well as top sports and entertainment figures, including Mark Cuban, Rick Fox, Hunter Pence, and Deadmau5. All of this brings the conversation out of the nascent Esport community and shares it with the world, providing insights into the competitive nature of the tournament and equating it to the same time, knowledge, training, performance, and mental fortitude it takes to be a winner in any high-level competition, let alone the intensely competitive world of collegiate Esport.
WHAT MAKES
A SPORT A
SPORT?
THE BRANDED
CONTENT CONNECTION
A New Hero builds a compelling and intense story and concludes with the emotional power of human connection. While the film introduces new audiences to the idea of Esports, it also becomes a badge of pride, helping to galvanize the emerging Esport world, not just Blizzard fans. The film runs through a brief history of the gaming industry, from early video games to the present-day technological innovations that make up a billion-dollar industry. A New Hero presents a character-driven story that highlights the determination of the players, their unique and passionate relationship with a brand, and how that brand finds equally unique and powerful ways to show their appreciation.
