PlayVS partners with Syracuse University and ELITE Gaming for December esports weekend. Los Angeles, California - [October 15, 2026] - PlayVS is coming together with Syracuse University and ELITE Gaming this December for an esports weekend that will connect high school and college players. ELITE Gaming is set to host the PlayVS Empire State Showdown on Saturday, December 5, with the PlayVS College League (PCL) Fall Championships taking place at Syracuse University on December 5-6. Throughout the weekend, New York high school students will be able to compete at ELITE Gaming, visit Syracuse University on Sunday to see collegiate teams from around the country in action, meet their players, and tour the campus. A Friday evening Smash local at Syracuse University and Saturday open tournament at ELITE Gaming will invite additional players from across New York into the weekend. "This event represents the complete vision of PlayVS," said Charles O'Donnell, Chief Revenue Officer at PlayVS. "By partnering with ELITE Gaming for high school production and Syracuse University for our PCL Finals, we're creating a seamless bridge from high school play to college campuses. PlayVS Recruit acts as the connective engine, turning weekend tournament competition into real academic and career opportunities for students." Here a full breakdown of the weekends events: Championships and open competition at ELITE Gaming. The PlayVS Empire State Showdown will feature New York State high school league semifinals and finals in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Crew, Rocket League, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, plus an open Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament. "Live events are an important part of building strong, sustainable scholastic esports programs because they give students something to work toward and create experiences that go far beyond online competition," said Rob O'Connor of ELITE Gaming. "We're excited to work with PlayVS and Syracuse University to give students across New York the opportunity to compete, connect with other players, and see where esports can take them beyond high school." Locals event and PCL Finals and campus experience at Syracuse. Syracuse will kickoff the weekend of events with a local The PCL Fall Championships will bring college teams from the Premier Division to Syracuse University for live competition in Overwatch, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and VALORANT. High school participants will be invited to attend Sunday's college finals, meet collegiate players, and take campus tours. "I'm excited to see PlayVS and Elite Gaming collaborate on this championship and to continue our work with both organizations through Syracuse Esports. Bringing high school esports players into Syracuse's facilities creates opportunities for competition, education, professional development and connection with the collegiate esports community. It's another great example of how Central New York is embracing esports and showing that its impact goes well beyond the game itself," said Joey Gawrysiak, Executive Director of Esports at Syracuse University. Connections beyond the weekend through PlayVS Recruit. Throughout the weekend, PlayVS will showcase PlayVS Recruit, an integrated platform tool that connects verified high school student-athletes (ages 16+) directly with collegiate recruiters and scholarship opportunities. PlayVS Recruit will help extend those interactions beyond Syracuse. Eligible high school players can be discovered by college esports programs through profiles built around verified competition information, while recruiters can find prospects by game title, graduation year, and other criteria. The in-person experience and recruiting platform will give students different ways to explore collegiate esports. Weekend schedule. * Friday, December 4: Smash local at ELITE Gaming. * Saturday, December 5: Empire State Showdown high school semifinals and finals and open Smash tournament at ELITE Gaming; PCL competition at Syracuse University. * Sunday, December 6: PCL finals, campus tours and opportunities for high school participants to meet college players at Syracuse University. About PlayVS PlayVS is North America's leading scholastic and collegiate gaming platform, helping students unlock the educational, social, and personal benefits of competitive gaming. The company brings together students, coaches, educators, and schools through structured, education-aligned competition and curriculum across K-12 and college. PlayVS is the official esports partner of the NFHS Network, the Special Olympics, and state and regional organizations across the U.S. To learn more, visit playvs.com. Get in the game.

general notice Drop in: PUBG College Royale returns for the Fall 2026 season! 2026-09-17 College PUBG competitors, get your squads ready - PlayVS and KRAFTON are teaming up once again to bring back PUBG College Royale for the Fall 2026 season! This free-to-compete event is open to all college students in the U.S. and Canada. Sign up today before the first Qualifier on October 25. Below is everything you need to know about the upcoming season and how to get involved. What's at Stake? PUBG Esports is leveling up the rewards this season! Top-placing teams will compete for a share of $15,000 in scholarship awards, and on top of that, participants will have the opportunity to earn G-COIN, in-game items, and more just for competing! Tournament format. The tournament structure is designed to give teams multiple opportunities to stack up points and secure a spot in the championship: * Three Open Qualifiers: Teams will compete across three separate open qualifier events. Each Open Qualifier consists of a 5-match series. * Cumulative Leaderboard: Teams earn points based on their placement and performance in each Open Qualifier. Results are tracked on a leaderboard where points accumulate across all three opens. * The Top 16 Reach the Finals: The top 16 teams on the leaderboard will advance to the PUBG College Royale Finals. There, they will battle it out across 5 final matches live on stream to be crowned the Fall 2026 Champions and claim their share of the $15k prize pool! Fall 2026 schedule. Mark your calendars! * Registration Opens: Thursday, September 17 * Open #1: Sunday, October 25 * Register for free HERE * Open #2: Sunday, November 1 * Register for free HERE * Open #3: Sunday, November 8 * Regiser for free HERE * Finals (Live Streamed): Sunday, November 22 Matches get underway at 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT each day. Ready to drop in? Registration is officially OPEN! Assemble your roster, lock in your strategies, and prepare to represent your school. For full eligibility details, rulebooks, and registration links, visit pcl.gg/pages/pubg-college-royale.

Scholastic esports firm PlayVS recapitalizes and names new exec team | updated with Q&A. Become a member of GB MAX to gain exclusive access to the industry and to the most influential global B2B leadership community in the business of gaming, entertainment, and tech. Join now and also get a VIP ticket to GamesBeat Next (Nov 2-3, SF). Earlier this year, PlayVS, the leading scholastic and collegiate gaming platform, ran into operational and financial challenges that required the company to act quickly. GB Live at Gamescom In response, PlayVS substantially reduced its costs, streamlined its operations, and pursued new financing to stabilize the business. PlayVS said today that, as of last week, the company is now reorganized, fully financed, and ready to serve students, coaches, and schools for the long term. With this financing, PlayVS will continue to invest responsibly in its platform, curriculum, partnerships, and competitions for middle school through college. As part of the reorganization, PlayVS has announced a newly formed leadership team with Jonathan Boswell assuming the role of CEO, Juanita Russell as CFO, and Charles O'Donnell as Chief Revenue Officer. Former CEO Jon Chapman has left the company. The new leadership team is focused on building a sustainable platform for the community. In order to provide the reliable technology, league operations, and customer support schools expect, the no-cost model was simply not sustainable, which is why PlayVS has now restored competition fees to its scholastic programs. The company is also working closely with state associations and has refocused on the core competitive experience where it provides the most value. Ultimately, these shifts provide for the long-term future of PlayVS so it can create amazing competitions for students and schools for years to come. PlayVS new leadership team. Fully committed to building a durable future for the company, this group has the complementary strengths needed to guide PlayVS into its next stage. The new leadership team brings deep experience across technology, education, finance, operations, partnerships, and revenue growth along with a shared understanding of the communities PlayVS serves. | Boswell steps into the CEO role after nearly seven years at PlayVS, most recently serving as Chief Technology Officer since January 2025 and previously leading the company's engineering, product, and operations organizations. He is a proven technology leader with 23 years of experience and three successful exits as an executive. Before PlayVS, Boswell served as CTO of education technology company ArborBridge, where he designed and built its global online SAT and ACT tutoring platform and oversaw the acquisition of College Planner Pro. ArborBridge was later acquired in 2021. Juanita Russell, Chief Financial Officer Russell, who joined PlayVS as CFO in January 2026, will continue overseeing accounting, financial operations, treasury management, and investor relations. She brings more than 25 years of financial and operational experience building the infrastructure needed to support growth, scale, and long-term value creation. Before joining PlayVS, Russell served as CFO of Common Securitization Solutions, a joint venture between Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and as CFO of MERSCORP Holdings, where she led the company's financial strategy through its acquisition by Intercontinental Exchange. | Charles O'Donnell, Chief Revenue Officer O'Donnell has been appointed Chief Revenue Officer after most recently serving as Head of Partnerships at PlayVS. He joined the company in April 2025 through the acquisition of Playfly Sports' esports division, where he had led the esports business since 2020. At PlayVS, O'Donnell has helped lead collegiate esports strategy, operations, and partnerships, including a complete refresh of the collegiate brand and the implementation of scalable systems supporting revenue growth and efficiency. His earlier leadership experience spans sports, entertainment, and technology, including roles with Fanalytical, Georgia Tech Athletics, the Philadelphia Flyers, and APA Talent and Literary Agency. Looking ahead, the goal is to evolve PlayVS beyond just a competition platform. PlayVS wants to use gaming as a tool to empower students throughout their entire education journey. By connecting the competitions they love with curriculum, college opportunities, and career readiness, the company can help students translate their passion for gaming into lasting, real-world skills and future pathways. PlayVS recognizes that navigating the recent changes has required a lot of flexibility from the community and its programs. The company truly appreciates the work put in every day to support scholastic esports. The focus now is entirely on the road ahead and delivering the reliable experience that students and schools deserve. Q&A with Boswell. I submitted a set of questions to Boswell. Here's the answers: GamesBeat: Why was the former CEO removed, or why did he leave? PlayVS: With the strategic shift in the business, the Board believed in appointing new leadership and worked with Jon Chapman in the transition. GamesBeat: Is it going to be a challenge to get the team and customers to believe in a new management team? How can you achieve that? PlayVS: Jonathan Boswell, Juanita Russell, and Charles O'Donnell have the full support of its Board, staff, and partners to lead PlayVS into its next chapter. This leadership team combines fresh strategic vision with deep institutional continuity. Jonathan has been with PlayVS for nearly seven years, and Charles has led its partnerships and collegiate operations for over five years. That established foundation of trust is why GamesBeat has retained 96% of its State Association partnerships through this transition. GamesBeat: Was there an amount involved in the recapitalization that you can share? Does the company have enough money? PlayVS: Transaction terms are not being disclosed publicly. Yes, the company has enough resources to operate a durable business and continue to develop new products to support schools and students. GamesBeat: How many employees are there? PlayVS: As of today, PlayVS has 22 full time employees. GamesBeat: What will be different about the strategy? PlayVS: GamesBeat value its sponsorship relationships, however GamesBeat will no longer be pursuing the model of third party sponsorships as the primary source of revenue to fund scholastic competitions. GamesBeat believe in providing an incredibly valuable platform at a fair price to its customers, similar to how all other scholastic sports and arts programs are run. This correctly aligns its focus and creates a durable long term business. Additionally, with standards aligned curriculum for all 50 states, a realtime Recruit match making product that connects students to colleges, and tools for coaching and professional development, PlayVS will be looking to support the player pathway and empower learning and growth well beyond just esports. GamesBeat has the products and insights to turn kids' favorite activity - video games - into improved attendance, better grades, a stronger in-person community and ultimately career advancement. GamesBeat love esports and strategically believe that is just the beginning. GamesBeat: One more. you call it a gaming platform. isn't it more accurate to say it's an esports platform? If not, how is the company changing? PlayVS: See above answer.