Welcome to the Dwarf Fortress Gladiator Tournament Blog!
What is the Dwarf Fortress Gladiator Tournament?
The DFGT is a semi-annual community event run by fans of Dwarf Fortress in which contestants fight to the death in a single-elimination tournament run by volunteers. Entrants offer up unique characters, backstories and fanart, and are rewarded in turn with the privilege of watching their chosen fighters ascend towards glory - or die trying. 2024 marks the ninth Tournament, and the first to be covered on Tumblr.
What's this blog about?
This blog exists to promote and post results for the upcoming Tournament IX, and to celebrate the stories of fighters from years past. Stay tuned for more!
What is Dwarf Fortress?
Slaves to Armok: God of Blood, Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress is a PC game by Tarn and Zach Adams which has been in continuous development for nearly twenty years. Its titular Fortress mode simulates geology, erosion, world history, warring empires, realistic wildlife, and more - down to the hopes and dreams of individual dwarves. Dwarf Fortress has been entered in a MOMA exhibit and earned countless accolades for its feats of procedural generation. It is for sale on Steam and available free at bay12games.com.
What is the Arena?
Just as Dwarf Fortress spares no detail in its worlds, so too does its Arena show no mercy in its simulation. Blood, bone, muscle and sinew are all simulated and tracked, and the material of a given weapon or armor can mean the difference between life or death.
Can I enter a Gladiator into the Tournament?
Submissions open on June 23rd on the official forums at bay12games.com. A link will be provided here at that time.
The Dwarf Fortress Gladiator Tournament accepts entrants of all races, from Dwarves and Humans to oddly-specific animal races like Peach-Faced Lovebird Men. Smaller fighters are allotted more points in character creation to even the scales against bigger, stronger races, making every match a potential David-and-Goliath upset waiting to happen.
Any number of applicants may submit a gladiator. Typically, 62 fighters are chosen at random to fill the initial 64-fighter bracket, with the final two slots filled by the winner of a Battle Royale - one for lightweights, one for heavyweights. No matter what, if you submit a gladiator before the deadline, you will get to see them fight!
What can I do to support the Tournament?
Subscribe! Post! Reblog! Spread the word! Annoy your coworkers! We're all just here to have fun.