FAQ

The Big House is one of the largest annual gaming conventions in the Midwest. Since 2011, it has been a premier weekend event experience for fans of Smash, Rivals, Splatoon, arcade games, tabletop games, and many more family-friendly activities. Open to attendees of all ages, skill levels, and backgrounds!

The Big House staff is headed by:

Robin Harn (CEO)
Eddie Chang (Venue Ambassador)
Amine Boudalia (CTO)
Jon Im (COO)
Nate Cordonnier (Chief of Staff)
Walter Brandsema (CMO)

This year The Big House is on October 20-22, 2023.

This year we’re hosting The Big House at Huntington Place (formerly known as Cobo Center) in downtown Detroit, Michigan!

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Rivals of Aether
Splatoon 3

and so many more games as side events!

We will add more events later in the registration season as we build out details internally. These include arcade games, fighting games, and more!

Please plan for the following:

  • First and second phase competitor pools on Friday
  • First and second phase competitor pools and side events on Saturday
  • Final brackets, Melee Top 8 finals, Ultimate Top 8 finals on Sunday

All competitors must be ready to play their first pools matches as early as 12pm ET Friday.

Check the Schedule page for more detailed info the week of.

There is no age restriction; we’re all-inclusive!

All our registration options are available here online!

Spectators should purchase a three-day pass if you wish to attend all three days, or a one-day pass if you wish to attend for just one day. These options are available at checkout, so please be sure to select the correct pass there! Additional three-day passes and one-day passes will be sold at the door as well, but are subject to availability, so we recommend purchasing here online in advance. Note that there is no functional difference between a three-day pass for competitors and a three-day pass for spectators. They both get you general admission to the venue for all three days, so if you want to just spectate, you can simply select a three-day pass and choose not to add any events to your registration.

Please note that even as a spectator, the online registration platform startgg may ask you for a gamertag. If you don’t have a gamertag in mind, you can just type your first and last name into this field.

Sunday premium seating ticket info: TBA; this is intended to provide an additive premium experience to those who wish to be seated up close to the players on finals Sunday. More details coming in September.

If you want to spectate at home, you can do so for free at: [link TBA]

At the beginning of the tournament, players are divided into bracket pools of several players each. The size of the pool depends on the overall number of entries. Each pool progresses until there are only a few players remaining, who advance to the next phase of the tournament. Repeat until there’s finally just one champion remaining.

Competitor registration ends October 3, 2023 at 11:59pm ET.

Spectator registration remains open through the event weekend, and ends on October 22, 2023 at 5:00pm ET.

If you registered successfully, you should receive a confirmation email titled: “Registration for The Big House 11”

Furthermore, your event dashboard should show the events for which you’ve registered successfully.

No, sorry. Entries cannot be refunded or transferred.

Find your pool assignment by checking your event dashboard on startgg. Pools are labeled as a letter and a number, which tells you time and location. For example, Pool B110 means you’re playing in Wave B on the schedule at Station 110 in the venue.

Pool assignments will be posted and emailed to you a few days before the event!

We will have a typical bag check at the door, for anyone bringing in more than about a drawstring bag’s worth of volume.

No outside food/drink allowed through the entrance, but you are allowed to:

  • bring in water in closed-lid water bottles
  • eat in the venue lobby (the area near the check-in desk)
  • eat inside the venue if you order from the food concessions stand

If you’re at the event, the easiest way to contribute is to volunteer to help us run things smoothly! [volunteer application link TBA]

If you’re at home, the best way to contribute is follow our social media, watch the stream broadcast throughout event weekend, and share the link with friends!