Wolfjaw Studios Establishes Scholarship for UAlbany Game Design and Development Students

Representatives from CEHC and Wolfjaw stand with a $35,000 scholarship check inside the ETEC atrium.
Wolfjaw Studios has established a $35,000 endowed scholarship for CEHC students studying game design and development. (Photo by Mario Sotomayor)

By Mike Nolan

ALBANY, N.Y. (Nov. 19, 2024) — University at Albany students interested in the gaming industry have a new scholarship available to support their academic success. 

Wolfjaw Studios, a game development studio based in Troy, has established a $35,000 endowed scholarship for students at the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC) who are studying game design and development. 

The scholarship was announced Sunday during the second annual Wolfjam Hackathon, hosted at ETEC by CEHC’s Department of Information Sciences and Technology. The event brought together more than 660 gamer enthusiasts. 

Participants formed teams and competed to win prizes by creating software and products related to the gaming industry, while also meeting some of the top developers, innovators and designers in the Capital Region and beyond. 

A large group of students sit for a presentation during Wolfjam.
Hundreds of gamers gather at ETEC for the Wolfjam Hackathon. (Photo by Mario Sotomayor)

The event concluded with a special announcement to establish the Wolfjaw Studios Endowed Scholarship. 

“Our company started with four guys in an apartment and now we’re at close to 80 employees,” said Wolfjaw Studios CEO Mitchell Patterson. “One of the most important things to us is building more of a community and giving back. We want people to recognize that you can live and work on games here in the Capital Region and be successful. UAlbany has been a great partner to us on this mission and we could not be more excited to launch this scholarship.” 

A team of students work on a gaming project during the annual Wolfjam Hackathon.
A team of students work on a gaming project during the annual Wolfjam Hackathon. (Photo by Mario Sotomayor)

As the gaming industry has grown in recent years, so has the demand for skilled professionals. Driven by technological advancements and a global community of players and developers, the video game market is projected to reach $293.2 billion by 2027. 

As of February 2024, the Capital Region had 20 digital gaming studios with a total of 510 workers, according to a report released by the Center for Economic Growth. Wolfjaw Studios employs more than 75 people and helps create some of the most popular video games in the world, including League of Legends, NBA 2K and Among Us.  

“Gaming brings us together in a way that no other entity can,” said CEHC Dean Robert Griffin. “It’s going to change the way we educate our kids, how we train as professionals and how we think about our sense of community. We are so thankful for Wolfjaw’s support and will continue push forward in this emerging industry.”  

CEHC already offers an 18-credit game design and development minor, along with an undergraduate concentration in game design and development, and was just approved to launch a new major in game design and development and master’s program in strategic game design and applied development next fall. 

In addition to academic programs, the University recently unveiled a new 4,000-square-foot arena to meet the growing needs of UAlbany Esports, which is among the country’s largest collegiate competitive video gaming programs. That facility is open to competitive gamers as well as students interested in a more casual gaming experience with their friends.