May 15, 2025

DreamHack Dallas Was a Million Square Feet of Nerd

DreamHack took over the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. A million square feet of Dallas concrete, BBQ in the hallway, LEDs on everything, people carrying PC towers like they were bringing a dish to Sunday dinner.

Friday was load-in. The LAN ritual is real. Keyboards, glow, somebody saying "yo that's sick" every twelve feet. Falcons and The MongolZ in the IEM quarters. Cosplay in the aisles. I am not here to rank the games. I am here because the room was full of people who found their people.

Saturday sold out. Somebody proposed on stage. The whole floor stopped. commandstation became the first woman to win an official Halo HCS FFA on LAN. The Costco Guys did a talent show. DreamHack contains multitudes and also Costco.

Sunday: Vitality swept MOUZ 3–0 for a 30th straight LAN CS win. LA Thieves took CDL Major IV over Atlanta FaZe 4–2. FURIA came back on Imperial in ESL Impact. I watched some of that. I also ate brisket and watched a drag show in the same building, which is the more honest summary of the weekend.

Dallas in May, a convention center, a lot of joy. That's the recap.

Moody Studios

Jasmine. Austin. Live music, Black culture, and whatever I actually sat through. I write like I was in the room because I was.

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I Can Count Us

Some Austin rooms I can count. Houston does not make me do that math. I still live here.