Season One of the Iron Games has officially come to an end. From Ohio to Texas, we travelled through the country and pitted some of the best up-and-coming teams in the continent against each other.
In round three of the Iron Games, from June 27th-29th we challenged players on our home turf in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Chattanooga Iron Games was a semi-final to be remembered.
Better Than Ever
The tournament in Chattanooga brought us new technological advances that changed the atmosphere of the event. Gameplay was streamed over a giant LED wall, providing live spectators with instant updates on the matches.
I recently spoke about these new changes with Thomas “Domey” Loffredo, team captain of the Fatal Ambition Halo team and 2-time Halo FFA champion. Speaking on the upgraded venue between Iron Games Atlanta and Chattanooga, he said, “The biggest change from Atlanta to Chattanooga was definitely the giant LED wall. The wall was a great addition to the IG venue and it made the mainstage look absolutely awesome.”
I also talked to Kyle Mynes, former member of the team Almost Heaven and coach of Donut Shop Gaming, the winners of the Call of Duty 4v4 at Chattanooga. Of the difference between past events and Iron Games Chattanooga, he said, “I noticed a huge difference in all the events. Each one kept getting bigger and better. In eSports, that’s something to always be proud of.”
Iron Games Chattanooga
The Live Experience
The primary reason that LAN events like Iron Games Chattanooga are so beloved by competitive gamers is the atmosphere. The adrenaline from the cheers of your team and supporters brings a new level of heat to the experience. Those who win will receive glory akin to any other sporting competition. Not only do players receive their prizes in person at the event, but they also become the center of a swarm of media and fan attention.
Domey spoke to me of his own successes in the Halo FFA. “I have so many great memories from all three of these events that I will hold on to for the rest of my life, and winning the 2 FFAs was one of the greatest feelings in the world. In the final minutes of the FFA finals in Atlanta, I was making a massive comeback and I could hear the crowd cheering every time I got a kill, and going crazy when I got a multi-kill. It was one of the coolest feelings I’ve ever had.”
Spending time getting to know other players on a personal level is another factor of the live experience that draws people back to LANs. For some, the social nature of live events is what makes them so different than anything else. “The best part was getting the opportunity to hang out with everyone again,” said Mynes. Domey added that “it was also just awesome hanging around with all of my friends I’ve met online.”
Thomas “Domey” Loffredo, Halo FFA Champion
Going Forward
The Iron Games Chattanooga was an event to be remembered. The following week, players travelled to Austin, Texas at the RTX convention for the finals of Season One. Players competed for the top place at RTX 2014, and even had a chance to play against top professional teams like Dignitas, Na’Vi, Reign, VwS Legendary, and Ninjas in Pyjamas.
Season Two of the Iron Games will be announced soon. If anything can be deduced from the way that the Season One events unfolded, Season Two is going to be amazing.
Find more info about the Iron Games at www.irongames.org and on Twitter @irongamingtv.
You can find Domey on Twitter at @FatalDomey, Twitch at DomeRocked, and on Youtube at DomeRockedHD.
Kyle Mynes is on Twitter at @kmynes and Twitch at Kymnes.
Article written by Cameron Rogers.
