Photo Caption: Rocket League was the first event in the Mizzou Gamer Gauntlet, going from 4-6 p.m. on Friday, April 21. In the tail end of the event, players raced to score the most points before their time ended. (photo by: Naomi Klein)

The Mizzou Esports Gamer Gauntlet is a series of five games that took place in the Mizzou Gaming Lounge this weekend. Across three days, from Friday, April 21 to Sunday, April 23, players battled it out in Rocket League, League of Legends, Overwatch and Valorant.

Players signed up for one-hour slots during registration, allowing for seamless rotations on the PCs in the Gaming Lounge and for everyone to get a shot at competing. The tournament was a way for people passionate about competitive gaming to get involved with Mizzou’s seven esports organizations and try out for scholarship opportunities.

Players competed in the first two events, Rocket League and League of Legends, on Friday. Rocket League went from 4-6 p.m. Two lobbies played at the same time, one in person and one online. The matches were mostly even, and some walk-in players and premier players came in after watching part of the stream on Twitch, said Blake Kronsbein, general manager of Mizzou Esports.

“I think we have some new Rocket League players. We had about five to ten people join the Discord,” Kronsbein said. “In the end it was a success.”

League of Legends went from 6-10 p.m. In the first hour it was difficult to get enough players to fill the lobbies, but once players from later time slots were moved up, they were able to start the event. Ten players were expected to play, but with walk-ins, there were twenty in the first hour. Four premier players and a team of five subbed in to play, and League of Legends coach Graham Deterding helped cast the game, Kronsbein said. Despite lag and freezing making matches difficult, the four-hour session went smoothly.

League of Legends was the second event on Friday, April 21, and the second game overall. There was a delay going in, but once enough players were found, the game went smoothly. (photo by: Naomi Klein)

On Saturday, players returned to compete in Overwatch, in a long session going from 2-8 p.m. Both in-person and online players filled the lobbies, and the watch party on Twitch brought in viewers from across campus. Despite some trouble with team balancing, it was a much more lively event than League of Legends the day before, said Cameron Sato, project manager of Mizzou Esports.

“There were a lot of people who didn’t show up who said they were going to, so finding people to fill certain roles was difficult,” Sato said. “We got it done at the end of the day… we had a decent turnout, compared to day one.”

Sunday, gamers came to the Gaming Lounge to play in the final event, Valorant, which went from 2-8 p.m. This event was lively, and both players and viewers flocked to the lounge to play and watch. Players, registered and walk-in, communicated with each other, and the lounge was filled with playful banter from both lobbies.

“For a bit we were an hour behind, but we got back on track,” said Gabriella Nechita, Mizzou Esports community lead.

Overall, the Gamer Gauntlet was an opportunity for gamers to meet each other and casually play together. Across the three days of nonstop fun, the tournament was ultimately a success.

The Gaming Lounge was filled with Valorant players and excited viewers on Sunday, April 23. Registered players and walk-ins alike flooded in, eager to show off their skills. (photo by: Naomi Klein)