Get your fightsticks ready, gamers, because fighting games are taking over the college esports scene!
Since Battle by the Bay in the 90s, fighting game tournaments have laid the ground for esports competitors everywhere. But make no mistake, the passion for fighting games hasn’t gone anywhere- in fact, it’s more alive than ever. The collegiate fighting game community is booming, and collegiate programs across the country are proof of it.
CFGC Partners with TampaNeverSleep
Promoting this level of competition is Collegiate FGC (CFGC), placing all eyes on college-level competition with their recent partnership with TampaNeverSleep (TNS).
TNS is one of the premier fighting game tournament hosts, with their names attached to prestigious professional level tournaments such as DreamHack, LA Comic Con, and CEOtaku. In this new, groundbreaking partnership with CFGC, TNS will be hosting the Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 grand finals for the collegiate league. The top college fighting game players will now find themselves on the same stage as the pros, the spotlights now on them.
Fisher and Maryville Sign FGC Superstars
With the introduction of the world’s largest stage comes the red carpet debut for its competitors. Not only are tournaments leveling up, but schools are too, signing semi-professional and professional fighting game competitors to their rosters.
One such program is Fisher College, who announced their signing of two-time Capcom Cup champion and Evo Japan Champion, Mena, to their Street Fighter 6 lineup.
Fisher isn’t the only program charging a heavy attack for this year, though.
Prior to the falcons announcement, Maryville University revealed they had signed pro Super Smash Bros. player and coach ApolloKage to their competitive team.
While this isn’t the first time professional FGC players have been picked up for collegiate esports, it marks a significant milestone in the history of the scene. Fisher and Maryville are notable for their multiple championships in VALORANT, Overwatch, Rocket League and various other esports titles. This attention to fighting game players of all different categories serves to only increase the hype around collegiate FGC communities, and elevate the competition to new heights.
So who will we see on the grand finals stage this year? Perhaps it will be Mena or ApolloKage, now repping their universities with pride. Maybe it will be an up and coming college student looking to make waves in the scene.
Riptide Hosts Second Collegiate Crew Battle Tournament
Speaking of making waves, another tournament raising the stakes for collegiate fighting games is Riptide. The super smash bros tournament has called Sandusky, Ohio its home ground since 2021, hosting one of the strongest Ultimate and Melee tournaments in the country every September. Multiple top names in FGC have claimed the Riptide trophy, including MKLeo, Hungrybox, and Zain.
This September 5-7, Riptide opened its doors to collegiate Super Smash Bros. Ultimate crew battles for the second year. Returning champions, Northwood University, along with 32 other universities from across the country traveled to the Kalahari Resort to kick off the fighting game season in a major splash. Between splashing in the waterpark and late night karaoke, these teams battled through two days of competition, with Winthrop University dethroning Northwood. Lubbock Christian Academy, Ohio State University, and Davenport University won the Gold, Silver, and Bronze redemption brackets respectively.
With more tournaments adding collegiate players to the stages with seasoned stars, it’s no wonder that programs are eager to raise their games. So many schools are drawing eyes, and are keeping us on our seats to see what’s next. Collegiate fighting games are on fire for the 2024-25 academic year, and we can’t wait to see who comes out on top.
