To support the tournament\u2019s rollout, the esports team partnered with the College of Design\u2019s Virtual Production Lab (VPL)<\/a> to produce a series of promotional videos. Built using real-time rendering tools like Unreal Engine, the VPL\u2019s immersive sets and cinematic polish brought a new level of visual energy to the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy vision is for NC State to be the leader in collaborative esports opportunities and event support for the state of North Carolina,\u201d said Cody Elsen, director of the university\u2019s esports program. \u201cWe want to support every avenue in gaming and esports, including the creation of the games themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The videos were produced in collaboration with Riot Games, GGTech, Visit Raleigh and ExitLag, and gave students hands-on opportunities to work in a high-pressure, professional setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt Maharaj, who spearheaded the College of Design’s participation in the championship as the project’s creative director, said the opportunity to blend gaming and cinematic storytelling was a personal highlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m a \u201990s kid \u2014 I grew up on video games,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen the grant came through and we started building out this infrastructure, it immediately caught my attention. We wanted to elevate this project to a\u00a0level that’s comparable to the effort and intentionality of a professional esports league’s\u00a0visual identity. That\u2019s where virtual production really leveled it up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cinematographer and virtual production manager, Ryan Khan, said the students involved left with more than a project credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA lot of students came into this project thinking it was just going to be a green screen shoot,\u201d Khan said. \u201cWhat they left with was a real understanding of how environments are built, lit and composited.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Elsen, partnerships like this aren\u2019t just exciting \u2014 they\u2019re strategic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe biggest asset is the students being in tune to the trends and demographics of the gaming industry,\u201d he said. \u201cThat insight is invaluable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As NC State moves toward launching officially supported esports teams, design is expected to play a central role \u2014 from team branding and highlight reels to motion graphics and livestream design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEvery single event provides some level of collaboration across design disciplines,\u201d Elsen said. \u201cFrom our side, we want to showcase the College of Design any chance we get.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With plans for team development underway, Elsen says he sees continued opportunity for collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve started the process of creating our own university-supported teams,\u201d he said. \u201cI think collaborating on how to showcase these teams would be amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether that means custom-built player identities, storytelling campaigns or new production workflows, the future of esports at NC State is looking more like a multidisciplinary sandbox \u2014 and the College of Design is helping shape what\u2019s possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe weren\u2019t just demoing tech,\u201d Khan said. \u201cWe were building an experience.\u201d<\/p>\n This post was originally published<\/a> in College of Design Blog.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n At first glance, competitive gaming and design school might seem like they\u2019re worlds apart. But at NC State, those two disciplines are syncing up with increasing precision \u2014 and changing the way the university approaches storytelling, competition and student experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/esportsvpl-14-1024x575.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/esportsvpl-1-2-1024x575.jpg\")