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The University of Wisconsin-Superior Esports Club hosted its popular Mario Kart tournament for students Thursday, Oct. 15.
The event featured two rounds of competition and drew strong participation from students across campus.
“We try to host our Mario Kart tournament every semester because it pulls such a great turnout,” said Brett Hessleberg, a senior majoring in political leadership and changemaking and vice president of the Esports Club.
UW-Superior offers both varsity esports and club esports opportunities, allowing students of all skill levels to participate. Hessleberg said tournaments like this help increase involvement and build community among gamers on campus.
“With club esports, we host more tournament-style events,” he said. “Events where you can win prizes, and we get everybody together to play games as a community and become more involved with esports.”
The tournament format is adjusted based on the number of participants. This semester’s event featured 16 competitors in a bracket-style competition, giving everyone multiple opportunities to race.
“For this tournament, there are four groups of four,” Hessleberg said. “From there, the top competitors move into winners and losers brackets until the final round, where participants from both brackets compete.”
The Esports Club plans to host additional events throughout the academic year. The esports lab in Swenson Hall is open daily for students.
“We love seeing people come in and just having a good time,” Hessleberg said.
By Emily Tews, a multimedia journalism major and student writer for UWS.