Fenn Lounge was full of computers, projector screens, screams and cheers as participants competed in games from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to Tekken 8 and Valorant, with some prize pots upwards of $200 for the winner.
More than 300 people attended an annual video game tournament known as Frostfire at Carleton University over the weekend.
Despite Carleton’s Esports Club hosting, many of the players weren’t from the university. Competitors hailed from Ottawa, Gatineau and according to Frostfire’s head tournament organizer Joanne Tran, even American states like New York and Colorado.
The event brought video gamers together in person, providing the opportunity for them to meet new peers who enjoy the same games and compete alongside them.
“We have the amazing Carleton campus already,” Tran said of the venue. “Why not just stay here and then we can bring a portion of what we love to the university?”
Tran said that Ottawa has a “really strong” local gaming scene.
“In the fighting game community too, it’s really special here,” she said. “And when you’re traveling in, you’re playing against people that you don’t usually play against at all at your local scene, so you’re looking for that challenge as well.
“A lot of people travel for that aspect, too.”
Tran, a 20-year-old computer systems engineering student at Carleton, serves as the community vice-president of the CU Esports Club. Several club members volunteered to help out with the tournament organization, she said.
“There’s so many amazing gems in this community,” Tran said. “This is such a by the community, for the community event.”
Setting up a video gaming tournament on the university campus took careful organization, Tran added. As many players were bringing in their own gaming PCs to compete, organizers had to make sure there was enough space and power to accommodate 300 competitors.
“I’m so glad to have so many people I’m able to confidently rely on, especially when you’re orchestrating so many moving pieces,” she said. “I was not known in the tournament scene at all, I didn’t really play any games, but after four months of planning, it feels like we really did get all of Ottawa to show up.”
Madeline Bott doesn’t go to Carleton, but like many others, is still a member of the Esports Club, which has more than 3,300 users in its online Discord server.
Bott runs a graphic design business in Ottawa and helped design the digital art and assets for the event, including the badges players wore to compete.
Bott also helped coach one of the teams competing in Counter-Strike 2, a team-based shooter game.
“It’s just for fun,” she said. “I’m friends with the team, and I like playing with them.”
The event is considered a Local Area Network tournament, meaning competitors play off the same network and are often side-by-side in competition with teammates and opponents.
Beyond the prize pool, Bott said people come for the energy of an in-person video game event outside the digital realm.
“A team will win a round, and they’ll scream and cheer super loud. That’s the part that people search for — they don’t really get to have (that) at home,” Bott said. “They can reach over and fist bump their teammate right beside them.”
Since attendees either had to bring their gaming setups “across the city to set up in a room” or rent a PC while there, Bott said those who attended Frostfire were doing it “love of the game.”
Tidjani “TJ” Djalal competed in three fighting games on Saturday, including Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6 and 2XKO. Djalal attends Heritage College in Gatineau but heard about Frostfire from Tran at a separate tournament.
“I love fighting games, and I have attended a few tournaments in the past few years,” Djalal said. “I wanted to support one, and Frostfire was looking really interesting with some cool games to offer and cool experiences.”
Djalal also loves the side-by-side experience at in-person gaming events.
“That community aspect is so fun because you’re playing in a battle between someone else and everyone kind of has the desire to get better and improve,” Djalal said.
“I feel like playing offline, you really see that connection with that person as you’re playing on the battlefield.”
He describes the atmosphere in person offered by events like Frostfire as “all love and positivity.”
“Online is still fun, but face to face and to be able to talk before and after the match happens, lock in while you’re in the game — ties it all together,” Djalal said.
“You have fun and talk and vibe and eat food together both before and after the game. The community aspect is a huge part of it.”
Tran said she hopes events like Frostfire will also encourage more women in video gaming spaces to participate and help them “feel seen.”
“It’s been really hard for me to find a strong space for women in gaming because we’re just met with so much toxicity and misogyny,” Tran said.
“There are not many women in fighting games in general …I hope to just be able to create a really comfortable space.”
Tran said another member in the community once told her all it took to run an event like Frostfire was “one passionate person.”
“It really only takes one person to really push for it. Push for the connections, push for this event, and then people want events to happen, so they’ll rally behind you as long as you keep a positive attitude,” Tran said.
“I guess this year, I was that person.”
Featured image provided by Evan Schell.
