Full Sail Stories

Since launching in 2018, Full Sail Armada has become a hub for Full Sail’s campus and online gaming communities. Growing year-over-year with the inclusion of spaces like the Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress and events like Hall of Game, Armada has connected gamers to their passions through competitive play, streaming, hosting and casting, production, and tournament operations. Grads who played for Armada teams have gone on to careers in pro and collegiate esports, game development, and even theme-park attraction design.

“Everyone always asks, ‘How did Full Sail decide to get involved in esports?’ And it was that we followed our students here,” says Sari Kitelyn, the Director of Esports at Full Sail. “We had some incredible graduates that were working in the industry. And then we had some incredibly strong student leaders around campus that were already mobilizing some pretty significant gameplay, not only just with each other and on campus, but with these other schools in an informal capacity.

“And so because of them, we were able to enter this space pretty early. Because Full Sail students are different, they're on the forefront. They know what's coming, and they know what's exciting, and they know where the innovation is stemming from.”

In celebration of that commitment to esports and passion to explore gaming’s next frontier, Full Sail is opening Armada HQ, an on-campus gaming and esports center that all Full Sail students can use.

What’s inside?

The all-new campus facility features 45 gaming stations fully equipped for top performance in competitive and casual gameplay. All students can reserve space in one of two main gameplay areas to explore an extensive library of pre-installed titles, playing on an Armada account or logging in to their own accounts on platforms like Steam, Battle.net, and Epic Games.

For the couch co-op gamers and fighting game enthusiasts, Armada HQ also features a console gaming lounge equipped with two 65-inch displays, a Sony PlayStation 5, and a Nintendo Switch.

In the soundproofed broadcast room, students can explore the production side of gaming and esports. Featuring a fully-equipped casting desk with dual low-profile desktop displays to support unobstructed match-calling, a 50-inch front-facing display, and drop-down green screens for versatile background setups, students can make the most of any stream.

“The space has all the well-roundedness to it that it just sort of connects no matter what you're interested in. Whether it’s from the production side or casting and on-air talent, whether it's competitive gameplay or just casual, or even just hanging out with friends, we really went through the space to ensure there was a place for everybody,” shares Bennett Newsome, Full Sail’s Director of Esports Growth & Development.

A space for every gamer.

Designed to reflect Armada’s legacy, Armada HQ invites new students to join Full Sail’s gaming and esports community while honoring the students who laid the framework early on. A hallway lined with jerseys from notable Armada athletes and a mural of past events invite new students to learn the history of the organization while exploring their own role in its future.

“I think what I'm most excited about is having another space for events and activities, whether it’s for our clients, for our partners, for our students, for our own internal events, and everything in between,” says Sari.

While HQ will serve as the home site for Armada Varsity’s competitive matches, it will also be home to community-focused events, LAN meet-ups, and workshops hosted by faculty and staff throughout the year. Students will even have the opportunity to formally pitch their own events in the space, learning the intricacies of project management and event production through the lens of gaming and esports.

“They're going to need to know all the ins and outs of everything that it takes to put an event together in the space, including everything from budgeting and operations to staffing and resources,” adds Sari. “Being able to say, ‘I’ve presented or produced my own esports event in a fully functioning professional esports studio,’ is a huge opportunity.”

“The mindset that we like to try to share with our students and graduates is to leave the space better than when you found it,” says Bennett. “And I feel like every club president and everyone that we've had along the way has really embodied that mindset and tried to better the program.

“And this is just part of that journey. This is the next step in that. We’re providing a place where we can continue to evolve what Armada is, as well as continue to provide opportunities for students who are really interested in participating not only in esports but in the greater scheme of what we're doing when it comes to Armada.”

Learn More About Armada