On May 25th and 26th, the RDS Dublin buzzed with excitement as gamers, creators, cosplayers and artists of all generations gathered for Ireland’s Biggest Gaming Festival, GamerFest!
If you missed out on the weekend of gaming, or are just hearing about GamerFest now, let me give you a recap of the weekend's events.
Give Home Advantage Challenge
This year, GamerFest teamed up with the Simon Community to raise much-needed funds for the prevention of homelessness in Ireland with the Give Home Advantage Challenge.
The challenge took place on the Mooju Stage on both Saturday and Sunday. With special guests Paddy Andrews and Eamon Fennell, the idea was to play EAFC with difficult settings enabled. The more money raised for the Simon Community, the easier the game will become for the players.
The Give Home Advantage Challenge was a fun and creative way to raise funds for the Simon Community. Despite the game's difficulty, the audience was on the edge of their seats while the players worked hard to win the match. The audiences involvement in making the game easier with donations to the Simon Community made the challenge an overwhelming success.
The Streaming Zone
The latest addition to GamerFest this year was the Streaming Zone, partnered with Pot Noodle. The Streaming Zone brought together twelve content creators, moving each from their personal setups to stream live from the RDS main hall.
The Streaming Zone was an opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at live streamers in action. A variety of games were hosted at the Streaming Zone, such as Fortnite, DOOM, Marbles On Stream, Valheim and the classic SingStar - there were plenty of options for GamerFest goers to enjoy!
Of course, when a group of content creators gather in one place chaos is bound to ensue! From streams getting crashed by other creators, to dividers being knocked over live on the internet, The Streamer Zone was the perfect addition to meet and have some fun with creators.
Cosplay Competition
Look at this goofy goober on stage 😀!
Bendy is always ready to shake a leg!@themeatly @GamerFest_ie#Cosplay #Bendy_and_the_Dark_Revival #videogame pic.twitter.com/tjFz8HYERi— Beanie (@Spectral_Beanie) May 27, 2024
Like most conventions, GamerFest welcomes cosplayers with open arms. The Cosplay Competition is a way to celebrate cosplayers and their talents.
Throughout the weekend of GamerFest, cosplayers of all ages wandered through the RDS. From video games, TV shows, movies and anime, all sorts of characters were represented.
The cosplay competition took place on both Saturday and Sunday, giving all cosplayers a chance to shine on stage. The competition draws in a huge audience and each cosplayer entered has a moment to show off their costume and creativity. In the end, one person is crowned a winner on each day.
The cosplay competition is open to people of all ages, with the youngest participant being only a few months old. The competition is held on the Mooju Stage and is one of the most energetic events at GamerFest. You’ll have a good time while on the lookout for your favourite characters.
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Interactive D&D Experience
If you love D&D, as a player or a supporter, the Mooju Stage was the place to be!
On Sunday, WonderlustDND held a live D&D game from the Mooju Stage. Following three characters adventuring for treasure, the lighthearted one-shot was an enjoyable D&D game whether you are a regular or a complete newcomer.
Featuring TallNerdApollo and Harker Ryan, WonderlustDND brought the audience a hilarious hour of storytelling. The unique and interactive experience included audience involvement, allowing them to roll the D20 dice on behalf of the players, adding excitement to predict the successes or failures to come.
From one character turning into a statue to another being left lying in a puddle of grease, the game provided plenty of twists and turns for the audience to enjoy and laugh at.
Trader Stalls
Every D&D player needs a set of dice. If you’re looking to start a D&D adventure, the trader stalls are the perfect place to buy your first set.
The trader stalls are filled with small businesses offering all sorts of items. From D&D dice to retro games and consoles, you are guaranteed to spend a portion of your day on a shopping spree.
Many talented crafters and artists can be found among the stalls. There were prints, jewellery and figurines based on video games, anime or the traders brand. There were even traders selling retro games for PlayStation 1, PC and GameBoy. If you no longer have your old consoles, don’t worry as you may find traders selling retro consoles too.
Feeling sad you’ve missed out on the GamerFest weekend? Not to worry, GamerFest will be returning to the RDS Dublin this October for their Winter event! Keep your eye on gamerfest.ie for updates in the near future.
