Rutgers—Newark Gaming Club offers more than digital gaming

The Rutgers—Newark Gaming Club offers a variety of gaming experiences that extend beyond the digital realm, from video game tournaments to collaborations with other organizations.

The five-year-old club focuses on esports but also organizes casual gaming and tabletop games such as billiards and board games as well.

"We try to be a good mix," said Chloe Ihsan, the club's co-president and a Rutgers—Newark School of Arts and Sciences junior.

Members participate in fighting game competitions like Tekken and Super Smash Bros. The club usually holds four general body meetings a semester, along with game nights, esport medleys and tournaments, Ihsan said.

The club has also hosted a Mahjong theme night and worked with the new Rutgers—Newark Chess Club. Ihsan said that the organization aims to work alongside more on-campus groups in the future.

The club has built a community of more than 800 people on their Discord server, and 200 to 300 students actively join their events each semester, Ihsan said.

"We just wanted to be a spot where people can network and also relax at the same time," she said.

Club members also promoted voter registration during the Fall 2023 semester by winning first place in New Jersey's Ballot Bowl Competition, a civic initiative that encourages students to pledge to vote.

As for the club's future, Ihsan believes it is already at its peak, being known among a lot of students at Newark. Despite this, she said she sees room for growth in their esports division.

"The only thing that I can really see evolving would be the esports people, who ultimately hope that they're able to branch off into their own thing," she said.

The Rutgers—Newark Gaming Club meets monthly on Monday afternoons in the Life Sciences Center on the Newark campus and is open to all students.