North County Gamers builds community through video games

June 13, 2026 - 00:22

VISTA -- A growing hub for video game enthusiasts has taken root across North County, bringing players together for real-world competitions and social gatherings.

North County Gamers formed after the pandemic as a way to connect people through video games, according to the group's founder, Chris, who declined to give his last name. The goal was to promote in-person interaction instead of people staying home playing online alone.

During lockdowns, Chris and his friends met over Zoom for game nights. When restrictions lifted, those nights faded away. He decided to bring game nights into the real world by partnering with local businesses for formal events.

He started small in 2023 at a pizza place in Fallbrook, then connected with several breweries in North County. Now Chris organizes a monthly event at Weir Beer in Vista, plus one or two other monthly events. A recent Mario Kart tournament at Aztec Brewing in Vista featured two musical acts -- a rapper and a jazz quartet.

"We found gamers are very diverse in what games they wanted to play," Chris said. "So, we started figuring out more unique events that we could specialize in what games we could play."

The group offers favorites like Mario Kart and Street Fighter. An upcoming event at Weir Beer will feature a Mortal Kombat tournament as North County Gamers explores the fighting genre. Alongside the tournament, the event includes a live discussion about the 1995 "Mortal Kombat" movie and a section with non-Mortal Kombat games available to play.