For five Washington-area “e-athletes” going to the U.S. Cyber Games Finals this weekend, a shot at a $15,000 cash prize and a chance to represent their country in the World Cyber Games are nice. But they’re more concerned about respect.
They’re “gamers,” or people who compete in video games, and in this country, they say respect can be hard to find.
“Typically people think gamers are in their basement all day long playing a computer or console game wearing glasses, a geeky or dorky person,” Tarik Elkhatib, 21, said. “Nobody is really like that.”
Fairfax resident Elkhatib, a Northern Virginia Community College student studying information technology, is one of five area gamers heading to Orlando as part of Team X3O, named after a Rockville gaming lounge where the team practices. One member is from Gaithersburg, three are from Fairfax and one is from southeastern Pennsylvania. All are between 21 and 23.
Their manager, Montgomery County resident Nick Fitzsimmons, said the team was handpicked and has only been together since early August. They’ve made it through several qualifying rounds to be one of 12 teams bound for the U.S. finals in Orlando this weekend.
They’ll face off in “Counterstrike,” a team game pitting “terrorists” against “counter-terrorists.” A team wins by killing the other team off or planting or defusing a bomb, depending on which side the team represents. Elkhatib and teammate Ryan Bell, 22, are both former athletes and say gaming satisfies their competitive urges.
“I played baseball in high school and college, but I injured my hand after being hit with a pitch while batting,” said Bell, an assistant manager at the X30 gaming store. “When I couldn’t play anymore, I was frustrated. I’m a real competitive person, and I found a way to fill that missing hole in my life through gaming.”
The teammates practice several hours a day online from their homes, but before big events, they’ll camp out at Fitzsimmons’ Montgomery County house and pull all-nighters practicing. Bell has hope that gaming is about to shake its nerdy image.
“Skateboarding used to be outlawed, it got on ESPN and people started catching on to it,” Bell said. “Gaming players in South Korea are like celebrities, they’re on TV shows and date other celebrities. Maybe one day we’ll get there.”
