[AnimeGamer]

Unleash The Esports Spirit: Guilty Gear Strive's Bridal Bout Extravaganza

Figure 1. Bridal Bout# 1 Poster!

In the long history of gaming few genres have been able to maintain a constant player base, all but one. This one genre is also famous for bringing gaming to the mainstream in the form of highly sensationalized ads. It was none other than the fighting game genre, the sole reason for the 90s kids not having the sense of saving as one coin was the difference between glory and defeat. Fighting games also hold another accolade to their name, this being the starting point for competitive esports. Before the days of the MOBA or the Battle Royales gamers used to duke it out in the arcade games and amongst them, one holds a special place in the hearts of the fans and haters alike. Guilty Gear is the name, and according to many, it was the perfection of anime games for a long time. Its latest entry Strive is a milestone for the series due to its massive 2.5 million sales and that’s not counting the millions of pirated copies. This is why in the modern age Guilty Gear Strive is seen as a piece of fighting game heritage.

Figure 2. Guilty Gear Strive

A fantastic title for a game, but one that has seen the community start to resent a new aspect of it. These are the highly televised tournaments, and while yes many do enjoy seeing their favorite game in EVO. Older fans miss the simpler days of community-run events that keep the spirit of gaming alive. But alas it's not like in the modern age of countless tools and resources players can't hold their own tournaments. Oh wait they can! Let me introduce you to Bridal Bout, a name that is as true as the heart of the fans that organize it. While the name might seem weird to many, it is an homage to Elphelt Valentine, who has recently been released in Strive and is the favorite character of the Xrd fans. Aside from the name the tournament also borrows some of the format style from the tournaments of Xrd. It features 2v2 style battles, all of which will be played online via the awesome rollback net code of the newer titles. Matches in the winner's bracket will also be streamed on a dedicated Twitch account for the tournament, but it is important to note that due to it being a community-run event and a smaller one to boot players are advised to be considerate with the organizing staff.

Figure 3. Guilty Gear Combat

As for registrations players need to head over to the official start.gg page and the date of the tournament will be Feb 12th, 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST to be exact. While the tournament might be smaller in scale the organizers have set a pot prize as an incentive for players to get motivated, and in the pot, 20 dollars have been added by the team to get the ball rolling. So what are you waiting for tournaments like these get rarer by the day due to the growth of the medium. Because at the end of the day, tournaments like Bridal Bout represent the core of gaming, companionship, and rivalry. Two things that are slowly being changed via the massive competitions, so as gamers it falls upon us to support the grassroots competitions and keep the spirit of the gamer alive.



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