Has it already been 12 years? It’s hard to believe, but the answer is yes, as one of the biggest events in arcade gaming took place this weekend, with new titles and fatter wallets than before. The event in question was the Big Buck Hunter World Championships XII that took place over the course of two days in Las Vegas.
We’ve covered the Championships almost since their inception (seems I missed the first one in 2007, which is the first year that the site here really started to turn into what it is today) back in 2008, and they certainly made a journey from humble beginnings to what they are now, with pomp surrounding much larger prize pools. I believe that every person who competed walked away with some cash, although it was the winners who get to boast the most from their efforts. Per usual, there were two tournaments: the Ladies Tournament then the World Championship (the latter of which both men & women compete in). Here are your winners:
In case you missed all of the action, streams from the event were posted to YouTube, so you can catch up here:
Ladies Tourney:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWD6N1cnEWU
Main Event:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJh10Q77CJE
And of course, there was the new Big Buck Hunter that was announced on Saturday to join the fray, Big Buck Hunter Reloaded:
And last but not least, here’s the official press release from Play Mechanix about the event, filling you in on all of the details in case you don’t have time to watch all of the streams:
2019 Big Buck World Champions Crowned at eSports Arena Las Vegas!
(Glen Ellyn, IL. October 15th, 2019) – After making its intentions known in 2018, Big Buck Hunter returned to HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas once more in 2019 to solidify its status as the world’s #1 arcade Esport!
It all began with the 9th-annual Ladies’ Tourney – featuring 32 of the fiercest female hunters in the world! With 2 former champs in the running and 9 new ladies making their debut, it was anyone’s guess which of these talented women would rise above the rest.
2-time winner Melinda VanHoomissen would make a serious run at a third title – fighting through the reload bracket and even forcing a second round in the finals – but in the end, Saskatchewan’s Lauren Hope stood victorious – claiming her first Ladies’ Tourney title, $5,000, and the honor of being the event’s first ever international champion!
Celebrations were in order, but Lauren couldn’t party too hard – as she and 15 other female competitors had work to do the following day as dual-qualified warriors in the 12th-annual Big Buck World Championship.
If the challenge of being among the top 64 hunters in the world wasn’t enough (19 of them new to the event), Play Mechanix upped the ante by debuting all-new paths for its animals, doing away with any advantages players may have gained from memorizing hunting sites. The World Championship was now a true test of speed and skill! The result was an evening chock-full of tense battles and explosive upsets – including the elimination of 2 former champions.
When the dust settled, Phil Beaupre and Andre Rivas each found themselves in their first final. The switch to skill-only play left us with two titans that were equally matched. Phil Beaupre came from the reload bracket to take a decisive victory in the first adventure. With one adventure remaining to determine the champion, Andre Rivas chose the option to switch guns. The final battle became one for the record books as the virtual hunters exchanged the lead several times.
Ultimately, Andre’s gun switch strategy paid off as he found an opening and grabbed destiny by the antlers – claiming his first World Championship title, $20,000, and the first title for the great state of California! The arena erupted in cheers and our coveted trophies had not one, but two all-new names to be added.
2020 will mark the 20th anniversary of Big Buck Hunter – a milestone that will be celebrated with the release of the newly-announced Big Buck Hunter: Reloaded – and surely a surprise or two for next year’s World Championship… Don’t miss out! The qualifier opens at all online Big Buck HD units on November 1st!
Keep up with all things Big Buck World Championship by visiting www.bigbuckhd.com/world
Live stream events can be viewed at www.twitch.tv/bigbuckhd
About Big Buck HD
Big Buck HD is the first-ever 1080p high-definition arcade video game – and the latest installment in the award-winning Big Buck Hunter franchise, created by coin-operated gaming powerhouses Raw Thrills and Play Mechanix. The Big Buck HD Wild update features 9 unique animal adventures, a host of competitive online features, and popular side story campaigns including Duck Dynasty , In Case of Zombies: Doe of the Dead , and the newly-announced In Case of Monsters: Lost Island . As of this year, players can not only compete with rivals across the globe for cash prizes, but qualify for the World Championship in the process. In addition to these player benefits, custom tournaments and ad campaigns have made the game a popular choice with bar owners and operators worldwide.
For additional information and updates, visit www.bigbuckhd.com and follow us on social media.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OfficialBigBuckHunter
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bigbuckhunter
Twitter: www.twitter.com/bigbuckhunter
# # #
One Comment »