From Oct. 1-2, after a two-year hiatus, Big Buck World Championship XIV was held in Chicago and crowned its first-ever international winner – Drew Baldock of Regina, Saskatchewan. Among other winners were Rookie of the Year Nathan “Jorge” Robertson, Leading Lady Alexis Murphy and Mobile Division Winner Matt Lorick.
Instead of a traditional Championship, developer Play Mechanix engaged local Big Buck Hunter advocates to host player-driven Big Buck Regional Series events across eight different regions (six in the U.S., one in Canada and one in Australia).
“The scale of these activations may have been smaller, but the competition was no less fierce,” the company said. “Each event featured both Pro Invitational and Casual Open tournaments. The former allowed the top 16 players in each region to square off with a $5,000 prize pool on the line, while the latter introduced first-time hunters to the world of competitive Big Buck Hunter.”
The winners of the Pro Invitational tournaments at the eight Big Buck Regional Series events were Rogelio Anguiano (Northwest), Aaron Avery (Southeast), Philip Beaupre (Northeast), Sean Chadwick (Australia), Chris Fream (Central), Lauren Hope (Canada), Aaron Morris (South) and Andre Rivas (Southwest).
Preparations are already underway for the 2022 season, which officially kicks off on Nov. 1. To qualify, players need to participate in Pro Mode, available at all online Big Buck Hunter cabinets around the world. See a replay of this year’s broadcast at www.twitch.tv/bigbuckhunterofficial.
