On Saturday, October 6, 2018, Limitless Games was packed. Although Limitless Games is usually a trading card game store, players from all over DFW had gathered there to compete in a video game tournament for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is a fighting video game made by Nintendo featuring many of video games’ biggest stars. Despite originally being designed as a party game that showcased Nintendo’s mascots, the Smash Bros. series eventually grew into a popular competitive game, with some tournaments featuring more than 2,000 players.
However, Limitless Games wasn’t hosting an audience of 2,000. The tournament of the evening, Divine Light 4, had only attracted around 45 people. For Limitless Games, this was a great turnout; it was about all that the store could hold in addition to its normal card game audience. Plus, this tournament was special.
That night, all of Arlington’s best players had come out to defend their turf. A group of players from Denton had driven into town for a crew battle, where two teams of players face off in a series of one-on-one matches until one team runs out of players to send in. The rivalry between Arlington’s team and Denton’s team had been going in the DFW Smash Bros. scene for months, so the crew battle was highly anticipated. Between 7PM and 8PM, the two teams cheered on their teammates and fought valiantly, but Arlington eventually claimed victory with two players remaining.
Despite the competitive rivalry, both teams showed great respect after the war had ended. Players were smiling, laughing, and talking about the matches together. Some players embraced each other to celebrate the healthy competition that had just occurred. It was a sight of unification. No matter who won, they were all players of the same game, and they were there to enjoy their digital sport.
After the crew battle, the main event began. Among the competition for the night’s one-on-one bracket was UT Arlington student Karthik “Karna” Manohar, who was ranked as the second-best player in DFW and at one point was just shy of reaching top 50 in the world. Karna’s world-class skill helped him secure a 3-1 victory over Faizan “Kurry” Mohammed in grand finals to win the first-place prize.
For a small trading card store on the west edge of the Arlington area, Limitless Games had seen a good night of business. Even though there was less than 50 people in attendance, the pool of competitors was unusually stacked with talent, and the Arlington vs. Denton crew battle had brought everyone together. By all accounts, Divine Light 4 was a big success.
In addition to holding the Divine Light tournaments once every month, Limitless Games also holds a weekly Super Smash Bros. tournament on Monday nights. Titled Skyworld Rumble, this tournament series often features between ten and fifteen of Arlington’s up-and-coming players. Attendance for Skyworld Rumble had struggled over the summer, but with the team at Limitless Games boosting their advertising efforts – and with a new Super Smash Bros. game being released in December – the Arlington player-base has seen a revival. Yet, this can be tied back to a bigger movement.
The growth of Esports has been prevalent in the Arlington community. UT Arlington’s Esports Club has seen great success in the past two years, and the new state-of-the-art Arlington Esports Stadium is set to host its inaugural event in late November. The Smash Bros. community at Limitless Games is a great example of the competitive gaming spirit that has helped Esports grow into a massive new industry. There are heated rivalries sometimes, and players are always looking to improve so they can beat their peers. But at the end of the day, it’s all about the game and the people you play it with.
