Colleen Coleman-
Get ready to throw some blue shells, because Gustavus.gg’s 3rd annual Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tourney is happening Saturday, Sept. 30th in Alumni Hall in the Campus Center at 7 p.m.!! Teams of 4 have signed up over the past 2 weeks and are gearing up for a fun night. If you missed the signup date or want to watch, spectators are more than welcome to come for some casual gaming, pizza, drinks, and prizes!
Junior and Co-President Gabe Gohman states that the annual tournament has always been a great community event for the organization since its start, “It’s always a super fun way to cool off from studying and play Mario Kart with your friends,” Gohman said. There is no better way to combat the incoming Sunday scaries than to watch your opponent slip on a banana!
Gohman looks forward to the tourney’s fun atmosphere again this year and hopes to see people attending. “I love seeing Gusties of all skill levels compete alongside each other, and the friendly rivalries that arise are always exciting,” Gohman said. Nothing compares to the tension of a neck-and-neck race on Baby Park or Rainbow Road.
Gustavus’ newly hired Esports Director Evan Haldeman shared that the organization is very excited to host the tourney this year. “The event is open to the campus community and aims to bring the community together while enjoying one of the world’s favorite games,” Haldeman said. “This will be the third annual event, and we are going to be offering food and drinks, friendly competition, and raffle prizes to be awarded throughout the night,” Haldeman said.
Not the best Mario Kart player? Come watch the action! Sophomore Makayla Taylor said that her favorite part about attending last year was the free pizza and the giveaways. “It was also fun watching all the different teams,” Taylor said. Taylor also noted that the organization did a great job hosting the tourney and it went smoothly last year, and she has no doubts about this year’s competition being a hit. Gustavus.gg has hosted many events in the past, for games such as Super Smash Bros, Jackbox, Among Us, and many others in addition to their esports leagues.
Prizes will be given out as a raffle during the course of the night, as well as in the competition. Last year, prizes given to the tourney winners were Mario-themed Lego sets and raffle winners went home with Squishmallows and $20 gift cards.
Get ready for triple green shells and boomerangs on Saturday night, or get ready to sit back and enjoy the show! Can’t make the tourney? Join Gustavus.gg for their open lab hours of casual and competitive gaming in the basement of Gibbs Hall, hours to be announced, or their weekly meetings on Mondays in The Konferensrum in the Campus Center from 8:30 p.m.- 9:30 p.m. Gustavus.gg looks forward to hosting the event. “if you like Mario Kart, are looking for a fun way to spend a few hours with your friends, or even just want to come eat our pizza and hang out, I hope we see you there!” Gohman said.