Canton, NY – The SUNY Canton Esports teams have combined to post 40 wins through the first month of the spring semester schedule with matches in both State University of New York (SUNY) and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) play.
 
Everyone loves a good first-person tactical shooter game. Throughout the years there have been many first-person tactical shooter games, but arguably none have grown more popular than this game. That game is called Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege (2015) and it's one of the most highly competitive first-person tactical shooter games out there.
 
The Roos Rainbow Six Siege A team got off to a 4-0 start to the season. This is no easy task to pull off and yet the Rainbow Six Siege A team navigates the competition with skill and strategic planning. How could this team pull off a four match winning streak, you may ask?

To answer these questions, we interviewed the two team captains of the Rainbow Six Siege teams at SUNY Canton, Ryan Burgos and Calvin Reid.
   

Question: How does it feel to start the season with four wins and no losses?
 
Calvin: It feels really good to have four wins and no losses, and I am proud of my team for what they have accomplished.

Ryan: It feels great and I'm proud of my team.
 
Question: How long have you been playing Rainbow Six Siege for?
 
Calvin: I have been playing Rainbow Six Siege since 2015 during the closed beta.

Ryan: I've been playing since the beta came out.
 
Question: What made you want to join the Rainbow Six Siege team at SUNY Canton?
 
Calvin: The reason I joined the Rainbow Six Siege team is because during my spring semester in my sophomore year there was a social media post saying that one more spot was needed. I was interested in the game since I played it, so I decided to try out.

Ryan: I've always loved playing it competitively and my friend told me to try out and I made it on the B team. It's been a fun experience so far.
 
Question: How do you balance esports and college/homework?
 
Calvin: Everything that I do related to esports is done on Mondays and Thursdays. Thursdays are practice days and Mondays are our esports matches. On the weekends (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) I complete any homework assignments that need to be done.

Ryan: I'm a Mechanical Engineering major and it's not easy, but I balance it out.
 
Question: As captain of the Rainbow Six Siege team what do you do to make sure your team stays calm and focused during an intense match?
 
Calvin: The way as a captain I help my team to keep focused is to bring positivity during any timeout periods or after a round. After a match if we win or lose that round stay positive because positivity helps the team to be less stressed and/or mad.

Ryan: We take time outs and take breaks. During time outs I always tell them what they're doing right and wrong.
 
 
Question: How important is communication during an intense match?
 
Calvin: Communication is very important during an intense match because everyone must be on top of what they say and give great callouts to make sure everyone is on point and in unison with each other.

Ryan: Communication is key in order to play Siege, so it's pretty important.
 
Question: What are some of your favorite operators to play as?
 
Calvin: On attack, my favorite operator is Iana and on defense my favorite operator is Mozzie and Fenrir.

Ryan: On defense I usually play doc for support and on attack I usually play as Buck for entry fragger.
 
Question: Can you describe your typical training routine and how you prepare for upcoming tournaments?
 
Calvin: My typical training routine consists of going into a versus AI playlist and putting it on advanced setting to simulate a real player experience.

Ryan: We have practice every Thursday and I prefer them to show up to practice. Throughout the week we play together so it strengthens our bond.
 
Question: If freshmen or anybody would want to join the team, what type of skills would they need to have?
 
Calvin: If anybody wanted to join the team the only skills that they would need to have is great communication, map awareness, and positivity. Rank isn't as important as long as they have those three main important things.

Ryan: Personally, I don't look for rank and I look for people with good communication skills and I always give people a chance.
 
Question: What are your experiences playing esports at SUNY Canton?
 
Calvin: My experience playing esports at SUNY Canton has been a great experience ever since I started. I truly enjoy playing and spending time and making new friends in the esports community.

Ryan: It's probably one of the best experiences I ever had here.
 
Spring 2024 Schedule Update
As the season continues to play out, we hope to see the Rainbow Six Siege team reach playoffs this year. Rainbow Six Siege A team isn't the only team off to a strong start this season. Other top-performing teams in ECAC play include Overwatch II A (4-1) and Valorant B (4-1).  Leading the way in SUNY league for the Roos are Guilty Gear Strive A (8-1), Guilty Gear Strive B (4-2), and Overwatch II A (2-1).

   


About SUNY Canton
As Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs, SUNY Canton delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 23 online degree programs. The college placed first in 14 categories in a SUNY-Wide Student Opinion Survey, most notably in career services, tutoring, library resources, and classroom facilities. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity esports and cheerleading.