What happens when 38,000 people walk past a group of students competing for their school in esports?
They stop and watch. They cheer. And a few of them walk away understanding esports a little differently than when they arrived. That is exactly what happened at our very first national school esports LAN, held over Anzac weekend at Armageddon in Auckland.
Armageddon drew 38,000 people across the three days, making it one of the biggest pop culture events in New Zealand. Inside that environment, we carved out a space for school esports, and the result was something we are genuinely proud of. Schools competed head-to-head in Marvel Rivals and Valorant across a 50 PC setup. The format gave students a proper competitive structure, allowing them to represent their school and perform in front of a crowd.
The atmosphere built throughout the day is something we didn’t fully anticipate. People who wandered past stopped to watch. Cheers went up every time a team took down an opponent. At various points, the pit area had a crowd that had no idea our event was even on the programme, and they were into it.
The feedback from teachers and students was strong, and it kept coming after the event wrapped. The standout themes were sportsmanship and the social side of competition, students showing up, meeting peers from other schools, and competing in a way that felt meaningful and structured.
We owe a huge thank you to Chorus, who made the entire event possible. Their presence throughout the day was felt across every corner of the space. The Chorus booth itself became something of a destination. They had a popcorn machine, an automated candyfloss machine with a consistent queue, and stations set up with the Play Life Balance video game. The fact that people were talking about the Chorus booth by name throughout a 38,000-person expo says everything you need to know.
Berocca were on site launching Berocca Kids, their new product range, and they brought serious energy to the floor. Their cart captured attention straight away and the lines to try the product spoke for themselves. After a full day at Armageddon, the crowd needed the boost, and Berocca delivered.
One story stayed with our team long after the event. Parents travelled from the Bay of Islands to Auckland to watch their son compete live in Marvel Rivals. This was his arena, and they made the journey to be there for it. They told us they had never really understood esports before that day. Then they stood there watching him compete for his school, in a structured and supported environment. This story is not an isolated one. There are many like it, and they are the reason this work matters.
The event had clear winners. Westlake Boys Highschool took both the Marvel Rivals and Valorant championship titles, fighting off challenges from teams who pulled before claiming the lot. The competition was real, the comebacks were real, and Westlake earned every bit of it.
School esports give students a competitive arena that is visible, social, and taken seriously. For a lot of young people across New Zealand, this is their sport. Armageddon was the first time we put that on a national stage, and it will not be the last.
View the winners of the LAN here
