One of my favorite gaming spaces might be shutting its doors for good. And as you can probably guess, it’s hard for me to come to terms with.
I’ve been playing Super Smash Bros. Melee competitively for over seven years. I’ve won tournaments, organized events, and built a community in Maryland with many of my friends (who are also Smashers). All this is to say Smash Bros. is one of the most important things in my life. But without a venue, it’ll be impossible to run our events.
VGBootcamp has been a staple in the world of competitive Smash Bros. From running VGBootcamp Twitch channels to hosting national events like Pound and Glitch, this company has been a driving force for our scene and a big contributor to its longevity. But despite the undying nature of Smash Bros., the venue I’ve come to know and love might soon be no more.
Our base of operations is Xanadu Games, a gaming space at Laurel Park in Baltimore, MD. Laurel Park is a race track for horses where people come to place their bets. As a result, it’s a common sight to see college students with backpacks and elderly men screaming their heads off cross paths. And yet, it never gets old to me.
We’ve had this venue since 2018, and despite its confusing location, it’s been incredible. Gaming chairs, two stages to run matches on stream, and a dedicated space away from the action for commentators to hype up the event are only the tip of the iceberg. Add in the ballroom that doubles the size of the venue and all the TVs we use for streaming, and it’s the ideal communal space for players to hang out, compete, and play their favorite video games.
On Nov. 27, an article was published highlighting the uncertain financial situation of Laurel Park. If Laurel Park were to close its doors, then Xanadu would also shut down. While VGBootcamp would probably be able to find a new space, it’s sad to think the venue in which I built five years worth of memories could be gone forever.
Laurel Park is where I earned my first cash payout—seven whole bucks in a plain white envelope that I couldn’t bring myself to open for years. It’s where I took a game off of n0ne, one of the best Captain Falcon players in the world, by pure accident. It’s where I handed my favorite player, Wizzrobe, a note from a friend written on a napkin stained with hot dog grease. So many formative moments in my Melee career were made in this venue, and if it goes, a piece of me goes with it.
Even beyond Smash Bros., Xanadu is home to many other communities, from FGC staples like Street Fighter and Tekken to more niche groups like Rivals of Aether. Even the speedrunning event PACE would be affected, which would be a big hit to live Super Mario 64 speedrunning.
A venue is so much more than a space to play video games. It’s where I met my friends, made memories, and found a home away from home. Growing up, I didn’t have friends with the same obsession for Nintendo games as me, but spaces like Xanadu showed me that there are so many like-minded people out there. The future of this space is uncertain, and even after writing all of this, I still can’t fully process it.
Smash Bros. will never die, and the FGC community is certainly relentless. But losing this space would be a symbolic loss for the Maryland scene. I don’t want to go back to crappy venues in the middle of nowhere that can barely house 40 people. But there’s a chance that where we’ll end up, and it’s beyond infuriating.
