Luke Weiland didn't expect to be in a National Championship game.

It isn't the most common thing, after all. To compete at such a high level to make it to the very top, it takes a lot of hard work, practice, and even a little luck. It's natural not to think about a feat like that. 

Weiland, a current junior at Robert Morris University, heard about the Esports program through a friend, and after a position opened up on a team that desperately needed filled, he answered the call. Weiland's journey towards the summit would've never crossed his mind years ago, especially in a game like Overwatch, which he originally hated. 

"I was super anti-Overwatch when the game came out because my brother liked it, and since I'm a twin brother and he liked it, so that means I had to not like it."

 

Ultimately though, Weiland, who goes by the gamertag "Maruki," would eventually latch onto the game, playing the game relentlessly through its lifespan and continues to log copious hours in the sequel, Overwatch 2. He was mesmerized by everything the game had to offer, but especially the pace of the game.

"It was just so fun because the gameplay is so immersive. All the abilities are cool. The whole Overwatch story is really cool," said Weiland. "It was like nothing I've ever played before because it was just so fast and I like playing games that go that fast." 

 

Thinking on your feet is a key skill for any Overwatch player. The more Weiland played, the more he understood the tempo of the game, seeing openings for advantages and seizing victory day by day. In Overwatch, each team has three different roles. The Tank, the head of the charge, must divide the other team and create space for the rest of his team. Flanking the team are the Damage players, who specialize in finishing off the enemies with wild movement, precision or explosions. Keeping the team together, the Supports provide healing and other advantages for their teammates, but lack the offensive bite of their counterparts. 

In years past, Weiland would play whatever role his friends needed him to play. This all changed when he got the call to join RMU Esports. 
 

"I didn't play tank seriously for the longest time, because my tank was usually around Diamond or Master, much higher ranks than the friends I would play with. So I would play [Damage] or Support instead." said Weiland. "Whenever they asked me to play tank for [RMU Overwatch Red], I think I had only played 10 Tank games in the past six months total. So I'm like, 'Oh, shoot. I'm probably like, really rusty.' So I ground it out and got back up to speed."

When Weiland joined Overwatch Red, the team's trajectory completely changed. Where before the team struggled to make playoffs, Overwatch Red only lost one game in their regular season, claiming a top seed in the playoffs. While his addition was the catalyst for this impressive regular season run, Weiland gives all the credit to his team. 

"The rest of the team already had so much chemistry, working together for the last semester. With the way I play, I play pretty aggressively too. So I think it just it ended up working really well with [the team,], focusing our fire against our opponents and it ended up going really smoothly." 

 

Not only did the team gel on the server, they also gelled off the server. The team morale was sky-high throughout the season, especially during their run for an NECC title in April of 2024. 

"There were so many fun moments during that run… Brandon was making so many jokes it got one of our VODs taken down." Weiland couldn't help but laugh as he recounted the memories. "Plus, when your captain shows up in a maid uniform for your championship game, it makes for a fun time."

 

The season that Overwatch Red had was not without tribulation. Weiland points to their lone regular season loss as a turning point for the team. 

"We dropped the game over spring break, 3-0. [We were] totally unprepared, and we're like, 'yeah, kind of an ego check.' We definitely needed it. I think because we lost that game, it kind of pushed us to keep pushing forward and practicing more, and then eventually that made us run all the way to the regional champs."

 

RMU Overwatch Red would overpower their opponents Centre College in a thrilling sweep, earning the second Overwatch 2 trophy in RMU Esports history and securing their spots in the NECC National Championship tournament. In the tournament, Weiland and co. would have to again defeat Centre College, where their repeat opponent would knock them on the back foot, winning two games back to back. However, after a miraculous play from Weiland to keep RMU in game 3, the Colonials would come back and win the match in a reverse sweep, 4-2. 

"I don't know how we did it," said Weiland on the win. "I'm not gonna lie. It was a miracle that we ended up winning in general, but yeah, we did it."

The wins just kept coming, and largely thanks to the play of Weiland, whose thrilling play continued to will Overwatch Red to victory. Combined with Damage and Support players who enabled their Tank to play as aggressively as possible. After winning their quarterfinal and semifinal matchups, the team would face Wartburg College in the national championship game. Before the game, Weiland recounted his feelings before the game. 
 

"We were nervous, obviously, but we were, like, kind of playing with house money a little bit, because we didn't think we'd be getting that far."

In the first game of the series, RMU decisively took out Wartburg on their own map pick after some intense counterplay put them ahead early in the game. Weiland, as always, was the star of the show, deftly defeating his opponents and keeping his team in the fight. "In that moment, we were like 'Oh my god, we can win, like, Nationals."

The nerves in the team boiled over into pure excitement. In the esports facility, cheers erupted from the competition room after every point earned, kill secured, and map won. The apex of the cheering came in map 3, where none other than Luke "Maruki" Weiland himself won a thrilling 1 vs. 4 scenario and fully killed Wartburg's late momentum.

RMU Overwatch Red became the first team in RMU Esports history to hoist a national championship. In the end, Weiland's late addition to the team proved to be the tipping point for not only a team, but an organization who further cemented themselves in the national collegiate esports space. While his trophy sits proudly in a glass case outside the esports facility, Weiland enjoys the victory dinner his coach bought the team just as much. 

"That dinner was the first time we had seen each other after the championship game. It was super fun. Also, victory steaks taste better than normal steaks." 

Weiland didn't expect to be in a national championship game, but just like every other step he took, he seized the opportunity and gave it his everything. Now, he has the trophy to prove it. 

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