The University of Nevada, Reno’s Esports Club hosted their annual Break The Internet (BTI) gaming event on March 14. The 14-hour event at the Joe Crowley Student Union ballrooms featured multiple video games that players could compete in, such as Marvel Rivals, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, Valorant and more. People could also pay to play their own games with their own monitors while hanging out with friends.
UNR is no stranger to the Esports world. The club has been around for over 20 years, with 2012 being the first year of competitive gaming events, like Break The Internet. Staff members say an event like this takes an “all hands on deck” approach.
“Just show up,” Rowan Dandridge, the community manager for Nevada Esports said. “We have things for everybody here. We have our arcade games, we have our LAN spots… There’s a little bit of something for everyone here. Just show up, we’re nice,” he continued. Dandridge is responsible for making sure the people who participate in events like BTI are taken care of and that everything flows smoothly.
Justin, a computer science major at UNR, said he started playing video games at 6 years old, mentioning Roblox as the game that got him hooked. Justin was one of many competitive players at the event competing in a Mario Kart tournament.
“Just try your best. It’s mainly for fun, really. Just enjoy yourself, and don’t get too attached to it,” Justin said, offering advice to other gamers who may be interested in playing competitively.
For non-competitive players at BTI, the event was about taking a break from their busy academic lives and playing games from many players’ childhood.
Myra, a junior and double major in accounting and finance, works at the Joe Crowley Student Union. For her, BTI was a convenient place to chill and play video games. Also a long-time gamer, Myra is not new to the Esports world. “When I was in elementary school my first game was Roblox. I still have my account. It’s the same account I’ve had for over 10 years now,” Myra said.
Anthony Taylor, a freshman at Truckee Meadows Community College, participated in the Super Smash Bros Ultimate tournament with his friends.“I’ve been doing it [the tournament] for about two, maybe two-and-a-half years now,” Taylor said. “So I really like it. The funnest part of the game for me is the competitive part.”
Taylor is an engineering major, but said he always finds time to relax and play video games. He encourages people to keep working hard at what they want to do.
“You can do anything if you believe in yourself. That’s the first part, believing you can do it and aiming high,” Taylor said. “The mental part of the game is more important than your actual ability in the game because you can be the best player in the world, but if you don’t feel good that day, you’re gonna lose, so having good mental breaks is also very important.”
472 people attended Break The Internet, making it the largest crowd Nevada Esports has had for any event.
As shown by the sheer number of attendees, gaming has a unique ability to bring people together, from staff members to competitive players to casual fans. Events like BTI take a collective effort from dedicated esports fans, and highlight how video games can still offer a way for people to “level up” amid their busy lives.
