Just one week ago we posted our Tuesday Telecast going over the precautions we were going to take for the small in person events we were getting ready to host. Today we are announcing that until further notice, until the vaccine for Covid-19 is distributed much more widely, Des Moines Gaming Club is moving to an online format. The decision to have in person events has been weighing on us for months. Obviously, as a new business whose main purpose is to provide an in person venue for gamers to have competitive, casual, and social gaming opportunities, in person events are the whole reason for us going into business. We have been building this business and preparing for opening for such a long time, we thought that if we had small events with strict guidelines for safety, it would be ok to move forward. However, after more deliberation we decided that at the end of the day we just can’t risk it.
Even though our safety protocols we had in place were above and beyond that required by our local city and state governments, again at the end of the day, you can play video games online. I consider myself fortunate and luck to be a part of an industry that can still function during a global pandemic and an industry that cares deeply about the safety of it’s participants. For those that are disappointed in this decision, trust us, it sucks. 4 years ago and when I started building this business I didn’t foresee a global pandemic deterring us from having in person events so it’s tough but again we will start hosting events online and it will be a good way to get our community built and our processes down. There are many businesses that had to shut down and close due to this pandemic, countless jobs lost, and hundreds of thousands dead. When put into that perspective, us having to adjust our format to online seems like a small price to pay.
Going forward, Founding Members will have free access to ALL of our online events. Online events will also be open to anyone for an entry fee of $5. Cash prizes of at least $20 will be awarded to winners of these events and those could go up if we see a higher than expected turnout. We plan on having quite a few online events once we get our procedures down. On Friday is out first ever tournament that we will host. It’s a Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament starting at 7pm. We are revising the entry process now soon you will be able to sign up for online events by going to our website, there you will be taken to battley.com to be entered into the bracket. The following Friday, the 29th of January, we will be hosting an online Warzone point race also starting at 7pm. The final format of that event is still to be determined based on the number of participants. Heading into February, we then expect to host 3 or more online events a week a while building the Des Moines Gaming community. We know the gaming community of central Iowa is vast and eager for opportunities. State forecasts for vaccine distribution show most Iowans being vaccinated possibly by end of April which is promising. More conservative estimates show things not “going back to normal” till the end of summer with some safety protocols like face mask wearing being the norm through all of 2021. While this means that our dream of providing that in person community, or club, for gamers to enjoy needs to be put on hold, we will do our best to provide online opportunities and content that is both interesting and compelling for gamers here in central Iowa. Till next time, stay safe and happy gaming!