Photo credited to the author
UniVersus players, including me, gathered in Denver, Colorado for the first North American UniVersus Regional of 2025. It was a two day event filled with games of UniVersus, including a Standard tournament main event and a handful of side events in different formats.
I loved getting to attend a UniVersus Regional in my home state and I’m excited to share my experience as a casual player attending the event.
UniVersus Denver Event Overview
The main event started early Saturday morning. I played a Godzilla, King of the Monsters deck built around the earth symbol and was excited to see how many different types of decks were present in the tournament. The most represented deck was King Ghidorah, Emperor of the Cosmos with 8.4%, but there were many other decks played, including decks built around two recently released world champion cards, Mitchell Cimino and Nick Ragan. UniVersus prints custom cards for players who win the World Championship competition, and it was cool to see these cards in action.
After seven rounds, Saturday’s gameplay concluded and the top eight cut was made with Andrew Porat, Kalvin Harrigal, Travis Tangeman, Cayden Gilvin, Nick Ragan, Nathan Dewalt, Barlow G, and Justin Martin competing on Sunday for the Regional Championship title. Congratulations to everyone who made day two, and to the Denver Regional champion Andrew Porat, who played Rodan, Giant Monster of the Sky.
Would I Go to Another UniVersus Regional?
While I enjoy competing, I’m typically more of a casual trading card game player. So while I played in the main event, and surprised myself by placing in the top 32, I also tried to seek out casual games and play in the side events throughout the weekend. I had a goal of getting enough prize tickets to get one of each of the beautiful Critical Role promo cards from the prize wall. And I succeeded!
Rochester Games did a phenomenal job running the events for the weekend, and there were continuous on-demand events firing as well as structured side events. However, I found myself wishing for a space for new players to learn to play, events geared for new players, and dedicated free play space. While there was lots to do for established players, and the event felt very welcoming, I didn’t feel like there was structured support for new players. Which, while not needed for a fun competitive event, would be a positive way of increasing the player base.
Additionally, since only the top eight played in the main event Sunday, I noticed that Sunday was less attended. However, I appreciated that there were side events on Sunday and I had a really fun time playing in a multiplayer Boss Battle. I really enjoy the collaborative and social aspect of Boss Battles and hope that UVS continues to make new bosses to support them.
From my experience at the Regional, I would say if your goal is to compete with some of the best UniVersus players in the region, Regionals is the right event for you. If you’re hoping for more of a fan and gaming convention, UniVersus Regionals have great potential, but aren’t quite there yet.
There are plans to continue to expand the side events offered, with talk of introducing a cosplay contest and additional activities into Regional events, which will make these events more appealing for casual players who are perhaps not interested in competing in the main event. I’m excited to see how UniVersus Regional events continue to grow.
Despite the handful of areas I felt were lacking, overall, I really enjoyed myself and would definitely attend another UniVersus Regional event. I enjoyed going and competing and would definitely recommend attending a UniVersus Regional if you’re able to!
What Comes Next for UniVersus Events?
One of the highlights of the Denver Regional was getting to play and chat with people from all over Colorado, and the United States, who love to play UniVersus and came to spend the weekend playing games! I spoke to a few people who commented on how excited they were to have the opportunity to play with new people and have enough people to try the multiplayer Boss Battle format at the event.
While the Denver Regional is over, there are many upcoming events to meet fellow UniVersus players at or try the game for the first time. There are upcoming prereleases, weekly play events, as well as local championships at game stores around the world, along with more Regional events just around the corner, including the Albuquerque and Chelmsford Regionals. The UniVersus EU Regional: Chelmsford will take place at The Country Hotel April 19th-20th. The UniVersus Regional: Albuquerque will take place at the Sheraton Albuquerque Airport Hotel May 16-18 with events starting Friday, May 16th at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Maybe I’ll see you there!
Want more UniVersus content? Check out our upgrade guide for the recently released Critical Role: Heroes of Exandria Starter Decks.
