By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
Gamers from across the region gathered at Fort Hays State University for TigerLAN 50 to enjoy the most popular video games of the past 40 years.
The FHSU Esports Club has a two-day event each semester at the Memorial Union. The latest edition, open to all attendees, occurred on Oct. 26 and 27.
FHSU Esports sponsor Kevin Shaffer said TigerLAN is in its 50th iteration, which started off-campus in 2002.
"Way back, they had the event in somebody's basement. It was TigerLan zero, but soon after that, they realized they could use campus space as a club," Shaffer said.
Esports members arranged tables and chairs, organized tournaments and solicited community sponsors for prizes. Participants were also invited to bring their own gaming consoles and computer setups.
The weekend event ran from 11 a.m. to midnight on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
The event featured casual and competitive games such as League of Legends, Quake, Tetris, Rocket League, Minecraft, Warcraft and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a fighting game.
FHSU student Alan Melendez organized the Super Smash Bros. tournament to bring together players from Colorado and eastern Kansas.
"Hays is in the middle. It's five hours from Colorado and five hours from Kansas City, where they can connect and play," Melendez said.
The Smash Bros. tournament featured two smaller brackets for participants: one for individual players and another for teams of two, both structured as elimination brackets.
Supported by entry fees and sponsorships, winners of both brackets could win cash prizes, which varied based on the number of participants.
"The Midwest [competitive] scene is pretty small. I would say it's hard to find good players and to get that practice to get better. You'll want to travel," Melendez said.
Melendez is a senior and said the Esports club strives to represent FHSU at larger Smash Bros. tournaments across the country in the future.
"I want to make an impact on Fort Hays while I'm here," he said.
Shaffer said what sets TigerLAN 50 apart from previous events is the attendance of alums who were also present at the very first TigerLAN.
"They were college students at that time. Now they're bringing their kids to TigerLan," he said.
TigerLAN 50 also offered attendees door prizes such as LEGO sets, swag bags, plushies, computer accessories, a JBL speaker and a Minecraft minifridge.
Sponsors of TigerLAN 50 that contributed prizes included McDonald's, Nex-Tech, Walmart and Golden Belt Bank.
Concessions and beverages were available throughout both days to energize gamers all weekend.