The first-ever worldwide Tic Tac Toe championship will be held at SXSW
The childhood classic is going pro — and just about anyone who wants to play is eligible. Top players will battle it out in Austin
Tic Tac Toe generally isn't thought of as a game of intensity. It's a lazy time-killer that is part of most people's lives from the age of five or so. That changes today.
The Worldwide Tic Tac Toe Championship gets underway Wednesday at the Port Authority bus terminal in New York City. And it will culminate the week of March 12-18 in Austin, Texas at SXSW, where a winner will be crowned.
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The brains behind this effort is Victor Varnado, an entrepreneur, comedian, and founder of the High Score Game Arcade platform, which offers small cash prizes for the best scores on simple games (and also hosts the Tic Tac Toe competition).
The hook with Tic Tac Toe is similar. Playing the game takes just seconds for hurried commuters. It doesn't require any fancy equipment or have a steep learning curve. You play. You win. You're ranked. It's gaming for the non-gaming crowd.
"By placing competition in a public transit space, the Championship emphasizes accessibility and scale — bringing structured gameplay to everyday life and introducing competitive gaming to audiences far beyond traditional gaming spaces," the tournament said in a press release.
It all comes to a head at SXSW, where there will be both a live competition between players and city vs. city leaderboards. The goal isn't to enrich the winner. (It's more about bragging rights.) The goal is to goose signups to High Score Game Arcade.
Along the way, though, the game of Xs and Os could become a bit more cutthroat, especially as the finals draw near. Tic Tac Toe is an easygoing game, but never underestimate the competitive thirst of players.