Cleveland Gaming Classic Returns With Free Arcade Play and eSports Tournaments

Published: Aug 31, 2026 - 11:24 a.m.

By Jaydas Adventures

---

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Gaming Classic is set to return to the Huntington Convention Center from Sept. 11-13, offering a wide array of video games, tournaments and exhibits for enthusiasts of all ages. The three-day event will feature hundreds of exhibitors, artists and developers. A major attraction is the large collection of classic arcade cabinets and pinball machines, all of which will be set to free play for attendees throughout the weekend. In addition to retro arcade experiences, the classic will host several competitive events. ICON Tournaments will run modern esports competitions for games including "Halo," "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate," "Tekken 8" and "Street Fighter 6." Nostalgic tournaments are also scheduled, such as "Classic Tetris Wars" and a "Tecmo Super Bowl" competition celebrating the pre-Madden era of football video games. For computer gaming fans, an area hosted by Cleveland Retro PC LAN Party will feature more than 30 vintage PCs running classic games from popular franchises. Organizers have said the event is family-friendly, with children 10 and under receiving free admission. Once inside, no tokens or game cards are needed for gameplay, allowing unlimited access to the available machines. -------------------- At Cleveland 13 News, we strive to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable reporting. If you spot an error, omission, or have information that may need updating, please email us at tips@cleveland13news.com. As a community-driven news network, we appreciate the help of our readers in ensuring the integrity of our reporting.