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Gamers show their mettle in 'Call of Duty' tournament at Kings Theater

An epic event is happening this weekend for the first time at Brooklyn's Kings Theater as players go head-to-head in the professional "Call of Duty" e-sports tournament.

News 12 Staff

Jul 15, 2022, 2:39 AM

Updated 890 days ago

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An epic event is happening this weekend for the first time at Brooklyn's Kings Theater as players go head-to-head in the professional "Call of Duty" e-sports tournament.
The players have practiced over 10 hours a day, studied game film and scouted their opponents with no days off.
The event is expected to draw thousands of people over the weekend.
"You're getting people from all over the world not just New York coming to watch these guys play. It's a shared passion between everybody that's coming to these events," says John Boble, the coach of the NY Subliners.
Twelve teams of four will fight for the final championship spots in Los Angeles and look to take home $250,000 in prize money this weekend.
It's the infectious energy of the e-sports arena that draws in spectators, regardless of their level of fandom.
"I think what people would be surprised by is the level of passion, enthusiasm and tribalism that exists in this community. You might come here not knowing what to expect and by the end of the weekend, you're leaving a diehard fan," says CCO of NYXL Mitchell Smith.
About 2,000 fans a day are expected to pack the theater, hanging on to every moment of the first-person shooter game. Watching it in person for the first time, Juan Navaro, says as a traditional sports fan, it lived up to the hype.
"I'm a huge soccer fan and the atmosphere can be matched here as well. Everyone starts getting up, the atmosphere, everyone starts cheering," Navaro says.
Fans can also join in on the action in the metaverse pop-up in the theater's lobby and snag some gear of their new favorite team.
"We have a really huge grassroots community in the tri-state area and really everybody's showing out," Boble says.
The tournament runs through Sunday.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the door or online.