Coventry students have been given a crash-course in one of the world’s fastest growing sports as a brand-new UK tournament centre arrives in the city.
HADO, an augmented reality sport inspired by the Street Fighter video game, was created in Japan six years ago and is now played in 36 countries across the globe.
And now, students from Coventry College have donned AR headsets and armbands to try their hand at it ahead of the launch of UK HADO’s official UK Tournament Centre in Tile Hill.
The ‘techno-sport’ relies on reflexes and tactics rather than size or strength, and puts players in a visual arena as they compete in teams of three in 80 second rounds, using augmented reality energy blasts to knock health points off their opponents.
The arena, which is now open to the public, will see established HADO teams, educational sides from across the country, and informal players head to the centre for tournaments, friendly matches, teambuilding exercises and birthday parties.
It is the UK’s flagship HADO venue, and features three full size HADO courts, a fitness centre, function rooms and changing areas.
In HADO, players wear a head mounted display and armband sensor, from which they shoot energy blasts at their opponent’s four life cells – all of which is visualised in the headset.
A well-placed blast can destroy all four cells, earning the shooter a point and temporarily removing the opponent from the game.
Players can dodge energy blasts, but can also raise energy shields to protect themselves, and face a strategic choice of focussing their skill points on the speed, size and frequency of their energy blasts, or the size and strength of their shield.
Jim Sephton, founder of UK HADO, said: “The growth of the sport over the last few years has been really exciting, and it’s great that we are now able to launch our first UK Tournament Centre in Coventry.
“The idea is that people can play regardless of age and ability, and while more experienced players do incorporate a lot of strategy and tactics, the game is very intuitive so someone with no experience can take part and enjoy it.
“The sport is really popular among colleges and universities across the globe, and we are thrilled that institutions such as Coventry College have taken an interest in what we are doing, and hope they will take advantage of the incredible new facilities on their doorstep.”
Gregory Naika-Taylor, Esports Lecturer at Coventry College, added: “Our students have had the chance to experience a hugely exciting and rapidly growing sport before most people in the UK, and we are looking forward to exploring educational and extra-curricular links with Jim and the team in the future.”