Twelve youth esports athletes from central Pennsylvania will travel to Orlando, Fla., from June 25 to 28 to compete in the Esports Series Championship Nationals at Full Sail University. The event will bring together players from across the United States for live competition in Fortnite, Apex Legends, Rocket League, Valorant, Minecraft, Overwatch 2, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Marvel Rivals, and other titles.

The 12 central Pennsylvania players will represent Valhallan Esports Training locations in Camp Hill and Lancaster, and they come from communities across the region, including Lancaster, Camp Hill, Carlisle, Mechanicsburg, and Chambersburg. The students qualified through competitive league play and will compete in Fortnite and Apex Legends.

The players qualified as members of six teams. In the Fortnite competition, the players and their teams are as follows: Jack Butler and Jordan Flores, the Chefs; Eli Schwalm and Lachlan Shamenek, GUFF; Brady Mace and Shawn Cook, Famous People; and Ethan Hernandez and Roland Benion, Newbies. In the Apex Legends competition, players Collin Lehman, Alex Markan, and Will Markan will compete as members of the Ravens, while Ethan Hernandez, Brady Mace, and Bo Ritter will serve as members of Stormborn.

Several players have trained with Valhallan for more than two years, while others are newer competitors who rapidly advanced through the program's coaching and competitive development system. Organizers say the esports program focuses on skills such as teamwork, communication, leadership, discipline, resilience, and sportsmanship. It also offers opportunities to earn scholarships.

Valhallan Esports Training provides structured youth esports programs focused on coaching, competitive leagues, STEM learning, camps, and personal development. Through team-based competition and mentorship, students work to develop gaming skills alongside communication, leadership, confidence, and teamwork.