The best recent events and tournaments at Localhost

Nerd Street’s owned and operated gaming venues, known as Localhosts, are not only places where you can stop by to play your favorite games on high-quality gaming PCs and consoles. Localhosts also are the site of LAN tournaments, private events, camps, activations, watch parties and more. Every month, we’ll be spotlighting some of the best events that have happened at Localhosts around the country, from Philadelphia to Fullerton and everywhere in between. Here’s a look back at some of the fun things that happened at Localhost over the past month.

Book an event with Nerd Street at Localhost!

High school championships at Localhost Denver

The Colorado High School Activities Association selected Localhost to hold their esports finals for the sixth time. The top 16 schools in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the top four teams in Mario Kart were onsite competing to determine the state champions in both games for the spring season. The venue was packed for an exciting finals competition, including parents and friends, representatives from Japan’s Teikyo Heisei University and even the Governor of Colorado, Jared Polis. This was the second visit to Localhost this year by Polis, who is an avid League of Legends player and supporter of esports.

“It’s great to see how gaming is bringing people together and building community, fostering passions and helping prepare people for success,” said Polis, according to a CHSAA article. “We know that the skills you get gaming are very highly transferable in life, just as they are in many sports, of course. Leadership, collaboration, but also problem-solving, critical thinking, all of those you use in gaming.

“Whatever you do in life, those will be skills you take with you.”

Grandview won the Smash Ultimate competition over Mountain View. It was Grandview’s first Smash Ultimate championship but second esports championship overall after winning CHSAA’s League of Legends competition in fall 2022. Pueblo West won the Mario Kart championship over Rocky Mountain High School, who were the defending champions. It was Pueblo West’s first esports championship.

College esports in Denver and Philly

A few days before CHSAA was at Localhost, Denver hosted a showmatch between Denver University and the University of Colorado. It was an end-of-the-year celebratory match between two of the best Overwatch 2 teams in the state.

In Philly, some of the best collegiate Overwatch and Rocket League teams in the area met at Localhost for the first edition of the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Series (MACS). Schools like Drexel, Temple, Saint Joseph, Alvernia and Pitt were in attendance. Drexel beat Alvernia in the seven-team Overwatch tournament.

Smashing success

The past month has been a strong one for Smash tournaments across Localhost. In Rowan, Break Through brought together 40 players competing in three different brackets -- singles, doubles and squad strike. Snogi won first in singles, Vince and A9 teamed up to win the doubles bracket, and Vince took down the competition squad strike. Rowan’s Smash weekly, Smash the Glass, has been going strong with about 20 competitors gathering each week.

Philly’s weekly Smash Ultimate, That Local Jawn, reached a milestone last month. TLJ 100 took place in April with 44 competitors dropping by Localhost for the big event and $100 pot bonus. Philly’s community programming continued with Brotherly Love Esports' Fly, Melee Fly biweekly taking place. The third edition of their Smash Melee regional known as Creed will be back in effect this weekend. The head of the org gifted Ish and Jumaani custom jerseys as thank yous for their continued partnership and efforts in hosting BLE events and supporting Philly Melee.

The Bigger Mile High Club, a large Smash Melee/Smash Brawl group had their second yearly event in Denver last month, and it was bigger than ever. With 150 players in attendance and many international players coming out it was a very high level tournament.

Quick hits

Philly’s FGC Monthly, Go For Broke, brought together 99 entrants across five games: Street Fighter 6, Under Night 2, Guilty Gear Strive, Tekken 8, and Mortal Kombat 1.

Rowan University’s esports club hosted a 24-hour charity gaming event known as Extra Life. Extra Life is a fundraising program for local children’s hospitals across the nation, and Rowan’s esports club raised $1,388 for the kids.

Colorado School of Mines played its playoff matches for NACE at Localhost Denver, and Bear Creek High School played their CHSAA playoff matches for Rocket League at Localhost too.

Lead photo credit: CHSAA