Gamers at UC San Diego can now rage quit even more video games after class thanks to the new Triton Esports Center, known as TEC 2, which opened its doors on Friday in the new Ridge Walk North Living and Learning Neighborhood complex. This development comes four years after UCSD Recreation opened the original TEC, which provides a dedicated on-campus space for students to play video games. Inside TEC 2, students can find 34 high-end gaming PCs, a 65-inch Sony BRAVIA display for gaming broadcasts, a PlayStation 5, an Xbox console, and Nintendo systems.
The opening of the new esports center comes after administrators noticed the need for an extra gaming space to accommodate the growing number of video game enthusiasts on campus. TEC 2 supports more students than the original TEC, which has 24 PC monitors.
The opening ceremony, hosted by UCSD Recreation in collaboration with UCSD’s esports team, featured speeches from Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Alysson Satterlund, Recreation Director Richard Mylin, and Esports Director Chris Griebenow. The ceremony also featured a speech from Kayla Hyun, president of UCSD esports, who helped Griebenow run the event by organizing the open house for all students and attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“As we look to the future, what we continue to build here at UCSD matters just as much as what follows here,” Hyun said. “This space isn’t just about building, but a sense of belonging. It is about creating opportunities for students to lead, innovate, and to find their place in something that’s endless.”
In an interview with The UCSD Guardian, Griebenow explained that TEC 2 establishes a connection among colleges, potentially becoming a vital part of the campus’s social life.
“This space is coming up; it’s going to be another central hub of campus,” he said. “I think that’s kind of the way that the chancellor sees it as well. … Every college is a community. And if we can serve that community better, then it can be helpful for everybody.”
James Chan, fourth-year student and graphic designer for the esports team, believes that TEC 2 demonstrates the connection between students and administrators.
“Gaming has had such a rise in popularity for the last couple of years,” Chan said. “And for UCSD to have a second facility for every student just shows that UCSD listens to student feedback and their interests.”
The creation of UCSD esports began in August 2019 after administrators noted the importance of gaming on campus during a meeting involving leaders from Triton Gaming, Sixth College, and the Recreation Facilities Advisory Board in 2017. Shortly after the club’s creation, the Esports Scholarship was created to endow students with $1,500 for their involvement in gaming organizations.
The esports team was also present at the event to recognize students who received the Esports Scholarship for the 2025-26 academic year. UCSD esports does not only offer gaming spaces; the esports organization on campus also focuses on bridging the gap between gaming and academics.
Third-year Breanna Lau received the Esports Scholarship for her involvement in the Video Game Development Club, where she currently serves as the vice president.
“It’ll help a lot because me and my parents, they pay for my college, so I’m always trying to help them out whenever I can,” Lau explained. “We’re applying for scholarships, and we’re struggling to get a game tech internship, so we’re out here. I’m just really happy to, you know, lift some financial burden on them.”
Fourth-year Chris Kreins, current president of Triton Gaming, spoke about the impact of gaming on campus during the ceremony.
“It’s a reminder that our community today has impacted tens of thousands of lives,” Kreins said. “This community became my family. And that’s an experience that so many of our students here share. It’s an experience built over a decade of work, passion, and contribution. UCSD’s gaming space is larger than ever.”
