Glen Ellyn, Ill. - On October 11th and 12th, 2024, Joe’s Bar on Weed Street in Chicago, Ill., became the battleground for the top 128 Big Buck Hunters from across the globe, all competing for a record-breaking $125,000 prize pool and the prestigious title of Big Buck World Champion. The 17th annual edition of the world’s #1 arcade competition disrupted the heart of Chicago with unmatched energy from eager competitors anxiously waiting to take aim at their hard-earned spot on stage. This year saw an unprecedented turnout, with 16,637 players participating in Pro Mode, setting a new record for the most attempted qualifiers in event history. The intense, double-elimination tournament stretched over two action-packed days, culminating in one hunter claiming the iconic Pappy’s Jug trophy and a $25,000 top prize.
With all eyes on the prize, competitors showed up ready for battle, displaying intense focus to demolish their competition. However, one competitor, described as “The Heart” of the Big Buck community by his peers, proved that passion and determination are key ingredients in the formula for success. A player who shows up time and time again - for the community by supporting countless Buck Hunter events, for his 9-year-old son, River, an aspiring future Buck Hunter and for his daily life as a contractor. A player who carries a magnetic energy and beaming smile everywhere he goes. Jamie Rundall used that same energy to dominate every match-up until the Winner’s Quarterfinals, where he lost to Chris Exberger, an exceptional sharp shooter known for living at the top of the leaderboards as the #1 overall seed. Clawing his way back from the Reload Bracket wasn’t going to be an easy feat for Rundall. Five grueling matches stood between him and the championship round. Matches that would force him to defeat 3x Ladies Division winner, Lauren Hope and 2012 Big Buck World Champion Chris Fream. His undeniable drive powered him through every site until he was only two adventures away from his ultimate achievement.
Who would be the final boss? None other than Edmonton’s Adam Holm, the reigning 2023 Big Buck World Champion, hungry to defend his title.
There could not have been a better match-up, the heart of the community and the Big Buck beast! Holm put in work all weekend, steam-rolling every match - undefeated until he stood toe-to-toe with Rundall. With Canada and Australia dominating the previous three championships, the pressure was on for Rundall to bring home the first USA trophy since 2019. Rundall needed to show up, yet again. Two entire adventures would be the determining factor. Thirty sites, six bonus games and burning forearms - the final battle for Rundall. He kept his cool, played fearlessly and shot his heart out. The dense crowd chanting “USA!” rocketing him through to the very end. Both Holm and Rundall gave it their all, but Rundall prevailed, proving to himself and to the world that truly anyone can become a Big Buck World Champion and cash out a giant check for $25,000.
Rundall wasn’t the only competitor to earn a title over the course of the two-day event. Lauren Hope, a loyal and fierce Canadian competitor, won the Ladies Division for the third time, taking home $5,000 in addition to the $2,000 she earned from finishing 9th place overall. Nathan Kasuboski from Appleton, Wisconsin, earned the 2024 Rookie of the Year title and added $2,000 to the $900 he earned from his 16th place overall finish as a brand new competitor. Last, but certainly not least, Jason Heinlein traveled all the way from Salt Lake City and earned the title as the first-ever Amateur Open tournament champion plus a fully-loaded $100 Big Buck Hunter player card in the event’s tournament for players aged 13+ who have never competed in the Big Buck World Championship.
For the first time EVER in 17 Championships, a huge announcement was made by Play Mechanix President George Petro. The location of the 2025 Big Buck World Championship will take place in Nashville, TN, on October 10th and 11th!
Preparations are already underway for the 2025 season, which kicks off November 1, 2024. To qualify, players need only participate in Pro Mode, available at all online Big Buck Hunter cabinets around the world. Scores posted while playing in Pro Mode are automatically factored into players’ Championship score cards. For more information on qualifying or the Championship, look no further than bigbuckhunter.com. Replays of Big Buck World Championship XVII’s live broadcast can be viewed at twitch.tv/bigbuckhunterofficial.
About Play Mechanix, Inc.
Founded in 1995 by former Midway game designer George Petro (NARC, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Revolution X), Play Mechanix - in partnership with Raw Thrills - is the world leader in the design, development and manufacturing of arcade video games, including hit releases such as the Big Buck Hunter series, NBA Superstars, Minecraft Dungeons Arcade, Halo: Fireteam Raven, The Walking Dead, Terminator Salvation, Aliens Armageddon, MotoGP, Nitro Trucks, Deal or No Deal, Wheel of Fortune, Monopoly, Kung Fu Panda Dojo Mojo, Ice Age Ice Breaker, Ghostbusters, Centipede Chaos, Pulp Fiction Pinball and many, many more.
About Big Buck Hunter
Launched in 2000, the Big Buck Hunter brand has been a cultural icon for more than 20 years, extending well beyond the traditional arcade game found in bars and restaurants to home console games, plug-and-play games, mobile games, pinball machines, slot machines and more. The current iteration of the arcade game - Big Buck Hunter: Reloaded - was released in 2020 and features a new eye-catching cabinet, 11 animals to hunt, five story-driven campaign modes, bow hunting and more. The annual Big Buck World Championship, a first-of-its-kind arcade esports event, took place for a 17th consecutive year in 2024 with a $125,000 prize pool and over 16,600 players from around the world attempting to qualify.
