From thrilling victories to crushing defeats, gamers experienced the highs and lows of Longmont’s inaugural esports tournament on Saturday.

The LevelUp Longmont festival included a full day of virtual showdowns between the region’s best gamers. With rounds played inside downtown’s Longmont Public Media building, the free event was the city’s first festival focused on esports and gaming culture.

Throughout the day, players battled it out in the fighting game Brawlhalla. The participating gamers were selected through qualifiers held over the summer.

Between rounds, players reflected on their matches or geared up for their upcoming fights. Jaden Tinoco, 12, fell to a Brawlhalla opponent early in the day.

“He was a bit better than me,” Jaden admitted.

The young Firestone resident recalled

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