AUSTIN, Texas — With carefully calculated button mashing using an arcade fight stick connected to his console, Steven Lopez is dialed in.
“Here I’ll be in the zone and everything but it’s just not the same,” he said.
The 29-year-old is a sponsored content creator with esports organization UYU. He’s known among the streaming and fighting game community as Aphex.
“The name is a way of honoring my dad. It was a name on a piece of equipment he used when he used to DJ back in the '80s,” Lopez said.
Lopez is well known for his achievements in "Killer Instinct," a game in which he was once ranked 11th in North America.
Playing online over the course of the pandemic has been convenient, but in-person tournaments and conventions have been a staple in the gaming community for some time.
“It’s one of the things I miss the most about in-person events. Being up on stage, even with a headset on, I can hear the thumping and the bass of the game. And the crowd reaction just can’t be replicated online," Lopez said.
The lack of in-person events has affected opportunities for Lopez to network and possibly get new brand deals but he says he otherwise has managed to get by over the course of the last year. But that’s not the case for all professional gamers.
“The state of depression some of these guys are feeling was equivalent to some of my soldiers that I’ve had at my transition unit in Fort Hood,” Army Capt. Quince Easter said.
Easter spends much of his day helping Texans get vaccinated with Task Force Covax, an operation being undertaken at the Texas National Guard Bridge Mission Command Headquarters in Austin. Easter is a former pro gamer himself and runs the nonprofit ATX Esports. Through conversations with professional gamers he says many felt like they were losing their identity over the past year.
“Some of them are kind of dejected from having doing what they love taken away from them at no fault of their own,” Easter said. “Some are known for their identity worldwide and they just want to showcase their skills.”
That’s why Easter took it upon himself to take a chance. He was involved in the last major fighting game community event called Final Round, which was set to happen in Atlanta in March 2020 but like everything else, was canceled.
He says there hasn’t been an in-person event since then. So he specifically reached out to a small venue in Central Texas.
“Those arcade venues usually last between two to four years before going under," Easter said.
Easter worked with Texas Gamers Lounge in Austin to create a COVID-safe environment to host the New Norm Tournament. TGL spent months in 2020 making no profit while keeping its people employed and still paying rent. The owner says he was unable to access small business loans when he was closed.
“We’re the first seal in the water so to speak,” Easter said.
More than 50 people signed up for the May 1 tournament which includes games ranging from "Killer Instinct" and "Mortal Combat" to "Super Smash Bros."
The interest has grabbed the attention of other tournament organizers who are watching to see how the public will perceive the tournament and what the financial risk may be.
Lopez is among those planning to attend and compete.
“I hope it’s a sign for bigger events in the scene to start making their steps to come back as well,” Lopez said.
Less than a week later, Lopez would take first place in "Killer Instinct" at Texas Gamers Lounge.
Although there were a few hiccups, organizers say it was a massive success.
Lopez says he was happy with safety precautions and his first place win should be evidence enough how comfortable he was in the environment.
“They were great hosts,” Lopez said.
ATX Esports says as COVID-19 numbers continue to decline, it plans to organize monthly tournaments after seeing the success of The New Norm Tournament.
