NIU’s Esports Student Sport Club is hosting a six week Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tournament. The competition began Oct. 18, and the next tournament will take place at 6 p.m. Nov. 9 at  NIU Hoffman Estates, 555 Trillium Blvd. There will be two more competitions the following Saturdays.

There will be a $15 entry fee to join the tournament, but gamers only have to pay $5 if they bring their own setup, which includes the game downloaded on a Nintendo Switch and all downloadable content, according to Conner Vagle, Esports General Manager. 

If somebody would like to use the Hoffman Facility or observe the gameplay, they only have to pay $5. Viewing is free for NIU students, Vagle said. 

Free pizza will be provided for all attendees to snack on.

Each competition will include a winner, who will receive a cash prize of $20.00, Vagle said. The final competition will include the best players out of the tournament and the winner will receive “the limited edition NIU Esports Cup.”

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is an eight player fighting game focusing on Nintendo characters and video games. There are a total of 74 different characters to choose from and master. The video game came out in 2018 and is the most recent iteration of Super Smash Bros series. 

The Esports Club has been growing since the opening of the Arena at Neptune North. The club currently has 94 members, according to Vagle.  

The organization includes a professional team that plays for cash prizes and against other teams, Vagle said. If someone does not wish to play at a professional level, they can join the club and can use any of the consoles and games provided.

The Esports’ Arena at Neptune North offers an Xbox One X, PlayStation 4 and multiple desktops to use. They also have multiple games to play and members can bring games to play as long as they are approved. 

They also have two Esports Lounges in Naperville and Hoffman Estates. The tournament will take place at the Hoffman Estates location.

“I have been over to the arena a few times during the week and there are always some students in there using the consoles/PCs,” Dr. Glynn McGehee, Facility Manager for the Esports Club.