While most gamers play as a form of entertainment or relaxation, there are others who do it for a living. Professional gaming leagues have been around since the 1990s, giving gamers the chance to prove how good they really are on a national and even global level. When I say “professional,” I’m not talking about people who play a few hours of Call of Duty a month and tell their friends how great their kill/death ratio is. I’m talking about people who actually make money playing video games. They compete in tournaments and win prize money. Some teams are sponsored by big-name companies. Most professional teams even have coaches and matching shirts with their gamertags on the back.

Much like any televised sport, professional gaming has its champions and its fans. The players form teams and practice over and over again to get to the professional level. This is where events such as the one we attended come into play. The Major League Gaming Combine was like an amateur tournament set up for newcomers to show off their skills to the pros. The winners received a $500 cash prize and a free ticket to Columbus, Ohio, where the next tournament is to be held.

Neither Patrick nor I knew much about the world of professional gaming before we attended the combine, and what we saw opened our eyes to the sport. We had no idea how big a professional gaming event could be. The convention floor was arranged with countless TVs and Xbox 360s, each console loaded with a copy of Halo 3. Hundreds of teams huddled around the floor discussing strategies for their upcoming matches. There was a lounge area with tables and chairs; large Halo maps were printed onto dry-erase boards. Local players from the pro circuit were there to evaluate the amateurs, give seminars full of Halo tips, and sign autographs for the eager fans.

On Friday, the featured tournament was a giant free-for-all with more than 700 contestants. A gamer going by the name Amish Acorns won the event, securing himself a cash prize and a free ticket to Columbus. On Saturday, the team competition started with more than 150 entrants. As the day progressed, the large number of teams eventually started to thin out as they were eliminated. The finals were on Sunday, with the top-seeded team Victorious Secret taking on challenger UoR Livin’ the Dream. VS took a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven tournament, but UoR came charging back to bring the series to 3-2. Game 6 was a Team Slayer match that was neck-and-neck the entire time. Near the end, the score was 49-49 and everyone in the room was on their feet cheering. The round ended with a 1-on-1 battle in which a player from UoR emerged victorious. In Game 7, VS got its focus back and ended up winning the final game of Capture the Flag. Victorious Secret won the prize money and a trip to Columbus for the next tournament.

As crazy as the combine was, we were told by some of the gamers in attendance that what we saw was nothing compared to an actual pro circuit event. During the next two weeks, we’ll be posting interviews with the professionals, the amateurs, and the parents of some of the players in Major League Gaming.

-Jason Iatomasi and Patrick Watts