Male students from Kingston University took over the SU bar at Penryhn Road last night for the ultimate FIFA 13 tournament.
Chart hits were replaced with the simulated roars of Wembley Stadium as 40 players battled it out to be crowned the ultimate FIFA champion.
The testosterone was flowing as freely as the booze as some competitors literally beat their chest before sitting down to compete with their opponent on one of the 10 Xboxs hooked up to screens around the room.
Clement Tataru, 20, secretary of Kingston University video game society (KUVeGaS), said: “The first round started off relatively calm, but by the semi-finals one controller had been broken, a few drinks had been spilled, and a couple of players stormed out of the bar.”
The contest began at 7pm and tensions between players were running high from the outset. The evening was littered with groans of anguish and cheers of joy as controllers passed from sweaty palms to sweaty palms in a night of goals and glory.
Officially the winner was to receive a £40 games voucher, but everyone knew that the real victory would be the pride of being the best.
The full-time whistle was blown just after midnight with Alex Dao taking the crown.
Mr Dao, 21, studying Chemistry, had employed an unorthodox tactic to secure his victory.
He said: “I’ve played football games for quite a long time now, from International Superstar Soccer to Pro Evolution Soccer, and now to FIFA. I was the only one playing five at the back. I thought the best way of winning was to be able to not let the other player score. I got laughed at occasionally before the start because of this but it’s my tried and tested formula.”
This tried and tested formula seemed ineffective as his side, Chelsea, went down 1-0 to Mahmud Lagundoye’s mighty Manchester City in the final. However, Mr Dao stuck with his formation and ended up equalizing before full-time and getting the winner during extra time.
Mr Dao said: “I went 1-0 down so enjoyed it even more coming back and nicking it.”
Mr Tataru said: “The FIFA tournament had a fantastic turn out. Despite the competitive ambience, most of the crowd was there to watch and had a fantastic time.”
Even though the gaming society is currently 75 members strong, last night’s turnout was more than most had expected.
Henry Eaton, 23, president of KUVeGaS said: “The numbers last night surpassed my expectations, even though we were prepared for at most 128 players.
“We are planning more tournaments, beat ’em ups, first person shooters, you name it.”
Upcoming events can be found at www.kuvegas.co.uk and www.facebook.com/kuvegas.