Texas Showdown brings video game competitors to Houston

Javier Moreno remembers the first Texas Showdown in March 2001. The first Houston-based event was held at the University of Houston's game room, where a group of players competed in four different fighting game tournaments.

“We were all broke college students,” said Moreno, one of the event's co-founders. “We couldn't afford to buy a lot of things, so the next best thing was to play these games at the arcade, and we were just saving quarters to run tournaments.”

How much has changed in 23 years?

The Arcade no longer hosts events, but the Ballroom does. This year's Texas Showdown begins Friday and continues through Sunday at the Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria.

There aren't a few more games on the itinerary. He has 20 games scheduled for the 2024 event, as well as 10-11 community gaming tournaments.

The first event drew about 100 people. Co-founder Chris Chow said they expect about 1,500 people this year.

“We're one of the oldest fighting game tournaments being held these days because a lot of fighting game tournaments have declined over the years,” Moreno said. “It’s great to be able to say we have a long-lasting legacy.”

The 20 games included in this year's official itinerary will be played on five different platforms: PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 5, Dreamcast, Xbox, and Arcade.

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Four “Street Fighter'' titles will be played, including “Street Fighter 6,'' which was released last year. Dragon Ball FighterZ, Mortal Kombat 1, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Guilty Gear Strive, and Tekken 8 are all also on the schedule.

It costs $15 to participate in each tournament. Winning payouts vary depending on the number of contestants, but the first place winner will win his 48-70% of the pot.

The event also encourages community tournaments where people bring their own setups and play games not included in the main schedule.

“The scene continues to grow and evolve,” Chow said.

Moreno said the event has grown organically over the years, relying on Texas Showdown's reputation and word of mouth as the best way to expand its registration base.

Its reputation has attracted many players from all over the world over the past two decades. Among them is a player from Japan who participated in his 2005 event, which is considered one of the most memorable events in Texas Showdown history.

“There might be some cheering,” Moreno said. “There might be some screaming. There's definitely a lot of laughter. It's kind of a controlled chaos.”

While the event has been a success, Moreno said there is no guarantee how long it will last. He said that while the management team is not looking to make money, it may be difficult to continue operating at a significant deficit for a year due to rising expenses.

But the industry is booming, and a new generation of competitors continues to sign up even as Moreno and Chow age.

“This whole genre is going through a kind of renaissance. There were probably five or six new video games released last year, so we're experiencing an influx of new people,” Moreno said. “It’s great to see people younger than their actual age coming into the tournament.”