Last weekend, we held our first national esports competition as The Unspoken VR Tournament hit select Microsoft Store locations across the US and Canada. More than 1,100 people at 80 stores stepped inside an urban magic fight club to cast spells with their own hands and battle for domination. Now, the top competitors return for the Regional Championships on May 20.

Click here to find the closest participating Microsoft Store where you can get a front-row seat for the magical mayhem.

People of all experience levels played in the tournament’s first round, from seasoned archmages to VR beginners. Some stores saw experts put on a clinic, throwing out triple skulls or summoning guardians to secure a decisive victory.

Cool surprise guests stopped by, like IGN’s Naomi Kyle, CaRtOoNz, and Cupquake.

“It's great to see gaming tournaments evolving to virtual reality,” says Cupquake, noting that this was her first VR tournament. “I’m excited about its future.”

Naomi Kyle and GassyMexican pose with fans before stepping into Rift

“I had an absolute blast at The Unspoken VR event at the Microsoft Store in SF!” notes GassyMexican. “The game really makes you feel like a powerful wizard, using Oculus Rift and Touch controls effectively and with fluidity. Although I may not be the best dueling wizard out there, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing fans of the game come and battle it out—it was very intense and exciting to watch. Definitely made me want to get some more time in the game and learn all of the awesome spells and abilities. Maybe one day I’ll be the powerful wizard childhood Max dreamt of being!”

CaRtOoNz and co.

“Round one of The Unspoken VR Tournament was awesome!” adds RedVacktor. “My favorite part was being able to see all the different VR enthusiasts in one location competing to see who the best virtual wizard was—it was truly the ultimate VR tournament experience!”

Cupquake braces herself.

We expect things to heat up in round two as these mavericks are paired with wizards well-versed in countering moves. Competitors will play online from the Microsoft Store—see where you can catch the action.

Keep an eye on the blog for some regional champ profiles as we head toward the finals on June 3!

— The Oculus Team