Esports Academy crowned national Overwatch champions
Exeter College’s Esports Academy has been crowned national Overwatch champion after an outstanding victory in the British Esports Student Championships.
Iūdicium.eXe, representing Exeter College’s eXe Academy, took the National Overwatch Championship title on 25 June with a 3 – 1 win against GCS Owls from Gower College Swansea.
The final was hosted at the University of Staffordshire’s Beacon Esports building and saw the Exeter College team secure victory in a closely fought series.
The British Esports Student Championships is one of the leading competitive esports platforms for colleges. More than 200 colleges and 5,000 teams compete, making this a significant national achievement for Exeter College and its learners.
The winning Iūdicium.eXe team was made up of:
- Joe “EXO” Ironside (Captain), Main Support
- Isabella “miu” Jackson, Flex Support
- Rory “rorcka” Glen, Tank
- Flynn “Tuna” Thornton-Potter, Flex DPS
- Daniel “Storm” Mogford, Hitscan DPS, former Tank
Flynn “Tuna” Thornton-Potter was named Most Valuable Player for the match. In an emotional interview after the final, Tuna said: “I’m trembling, I’m actually trembling, the adrenaline is just flowing; I’m so glad we won.
“Everyone’s mentality, we lost NJC (New Junk City) pretty poorly, but we just turned around, kept going and pulled out a strong map and just kept it going (to close out the series).”
Esports Academy Lead and Overwatch Coach at Exeter College, Michael Gargett, said:
“I am beyond proud of what the team have accomplished this year. They came in as underdogs, with most of our team being promoted from division one to stand on the shoulders of giants in prior years.”
The team were also backed by a lively crowd, including support from City College Plymouth’s Valorant team, who led the chant: “Who are we! E! X! E!”
The performance featured several memorable moments and individual displays. Team Captain Joe “EXO” Ironside played a key role in leading the team throughout the season. He worked hard to secure coaching for the squad, including support from Mentally_Boomed and Cointree, the coach for Twisted Minds, who are ranked second in the world.
Isabella “miu” Jackson helped keep the team’s energy high while playing a tactical role, drawing opponents away from her teammates and limiting their impact.
Daniel “Storm” Mogford adapted to an off-role position during the season. He fitted into the team effectively, helping to force errors from the opposition and delivering key moments throughout the final.
Rory “rorcka” Glen was Exeter College’s only returning national player. After finishing second in the 2024-25 season, Rory returned determined to go one better.
The result means Exeter College is the only college to have won the Overwatch national championship twice, having previously won in 2024 and finished second in 2025, when the College also won the regional division.
The win further cements Exeter College’s position as the most successful UK college in competitive esports for the third year in a row. This success also follows strong performances across other games, including a third-place national finish in Rocket League by Imperator.eXe.
Relive Iūdicium.eXe’s winning moment.
Find out more about Exeter College’s Esports Academy.
