COMMUNITY EFFORT ORLANDO, 2016 - A FIGHTING GAME TOURNAMENT THAT REALLY PACKS A PUNCH

Last weekend I managed to attend a great convention called CEO (also known as the Community Effort Orlando), which is one of the greatest Fighting Game Community's in the whole of the US. Created by the FGC (Fighting Game Community), the CEO has been able to take in other communities from lands far and wide, only to become the 2nd biggest FGC event, just after the EVO Championship series. Many tournaments were held there, and this includes tournaments for beat-em-up games such as 'Smash' and 'Street Fighter', anime-styled fighting games like 'Guilty Gear', as well as games that haven't even been released yet, like ‘Tekken 7’.





My only complaint with this latest CEO show is that there wasn’t enough space available for those in attendance. On top of that, the wifi was substandard at best, and there were too many lines of people waiting their turn to play the games they wanted to play.

For instance, there were over 900 contestants to play ‘Smash 4’ (teams included), and they had to share it with the people who wanted to play 'Pokken'. So as you can imagine the ballroom was really hot and smelly, or at least it was until the tournament organizers started kicking people out who were not currently playing, which caused a problem for the players that needed the coach.

Quite recently 'Smash 4' has been growing at an exponential rate, coinciding with the popularity of games like ‘Street Fighter’ and the ‘Capcom Cup’. Finally it’s time for CEO to start keeping up with their growth: More setups, more space, more venders, and more pot bonuses. Basically, CEO just needs to get bigger and has the power and the following to do just that. I know that it was devised for the people of Orlando, but still, it has gained in the eye of the worldwide FGC. Truly, this is one of the greatest forces in the world of tournament gaming, and I'm sure one day will help the FGC find there rightful place at the top of the eSports ladder.

With that being said, however, I must also applaud the staff at CEO who know how to hold onto one hell of a great show: The main stage was spectacular, the streams where smooth and crisp, plus, despite the rowdiness some of the FGC can get, the staff, though understaffed, handled the events as best as they could. As a Smash Player myself this was one of the best tournaments I have ever been to because there was never a dull moment. With Zero not making Top 8, pros drowning in pools, and the return of Fox’s infamous Shine Spike, people will be talking about CEO for years to come. Long live Jebailey (CEO’s director) and long live CEO.

Of course I will be coming back next year to experience this wonderful event again. This editorial was brought to you by Way Hill and Justin Thompson.