UF’s largest free gaming event will take up more space this year.
Gator Gaming will hold GatorLAN on Saturday at noon in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom and the Rion Ballroom to reduce noise interference, said Nathan Hoekman, the project manager. In past years, participants played all games in the Grand Ballroom.
This caused a lot of noise from different devices, the 19-year-old UF mechanical and aerospace engineering sophomore said.
The Grand Ballroom will house computer games, and the Rion Ballroom will hold consoles, such as the PlayStation 4.
Those interested in games like “League of Legends” and “Dota 2” could register in advance, he said. Those attending can play other games, like “Super Smash Bros.,” after signing up at the door.
Hoekman said the art corner will be in the Rion Ballroom.
“You can make your perler bead artwork, which is like making 2-D sprites out of little beads, and then you iron it together, and it sticks together,” he said.
Ben Rachman, the president of Gator Gaming, said he expects more than 500 people to attend. While they hold the event multiple times each year, Spring’s GatorLAN is usually the largest.
“We pretty much always have things for you to register and play, you just have to bring your own controller,” the 19-year-old UF economics sophomore said.
