The last thing you would think Congress members would do is play video games, but they did. This past week, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) actually played host to a Rocket League Tournament inside Congress. The tournament-style was 2v2 style matches. Suffice it to say, a lot of members did not fare well playing the game. You can check out the stream below and see for yourself.
The whole reason for this tournament was to educate Congress members about esports and all that goes with them. The ESA and Congress’ Future Forum Caucus teamed up to make the event possible. Members paired up with staff during the tournament this past Wednesday, which they even streamed on Twitch.
So, just which members of Congress took part? Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Katie Hill (D-CA), Marc Veasey (D-TX), and Jimmy Gomez (D-CA). They all participated in the two-hour-long Livestream.
Members struggled with gameplay
If you watch the stream yourself, you’ll see that a lot of these Representatives are clearly not video game savvy at all. Most have likely never played any type of esport game before. An ironic thing is that the ESA picked Rocket League because it was “easy to pick up and play and wouldn’t take a lot of time to master,” according to an ESA representative during the stream.
Rocket League is not an easy game that most people can simply master in a two-hour period. That’s especially true for those who have never played video games. Had they picked Fortnite or really any shooter, as one member said, they probably would have had better luck.
The important takeaway here is that ESA wants to continue a strong relationship with lawmakers. They no doubt want to make sure that congressmen and women actually understand esports and gaming before putting any new laws into place. So, could we see more tournaments like this with members of Congress? Who knows. If so, the members might want to consult some of our guides first.
At least there is a silver lining to this event, though. For many, this Rocket League experiment certainly was entertaining to watch.
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