E-sports have always been popular in the nerd space, but in Central Florida, we have access to some of the best e-sports hubs around. From CEO Gaming and CEOtaku, hosted annually, as well as other smaller gaming groups and gatherings, this area is perfect for members of the fighting game community (FGC) and other esports participants. So it was no surprise when a new esports event called Central Florida Face-Off (CFFO) was announced that folks in the area were stoked to attend. Central Florida Face-Off was a one-day event hosted at the Avanti Palms Resort in Orlando, Florida, in the popular tourist area, International Drive. According to the creative team behind the event, CFFO is “A daring experiment in combining the communities of fighting games and trading card games, showing off the power of competition to bring people together” . The hotel was rather spacious with plenty of space for gamers and other nerdy enthusiast to enjoy their time at the event. The event h...
As long-time Florida residents and lifelong otakus, there is no event that we look for year after year other than Holiday Matsuri. Holiday Matsuri also known as “Holmat” is a yearly celebration of anime, otaku culture, and East Asian media all decked out in fancy holiday decor. Holmat has been a central Florida staple for nearly two decades attracting cosplayers, creators, guests, gamers, and anime connoisseurs; each year expanding and growing into an event that rivals large events such as MegaCon Orlando, MomoCon, and Anime Weekend Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia. For several years now, BN’K on Tour has had the privilege to provide coverage and report on all of the amazing things that event has done, and in 2024 we were privileged to be invited back to provide coverage once again. If you’ve been following our coverage of this event over the years, you’ll know that 2023 was a particularly testy year for Holmat, with large changes to dates, an extremely serious health situation, and visible...