In 2027, the Cleveland Gaming Classic (CGC) will celebrate its 10-year anniversary!

CGC began with a handful of friends playing Tecmo Super Bowl in a Cleveland living room. We soon took what was then Tecmo Cleveland on the road to local barcades, breweries and bars, eventually hosting our first public tournament at an American Legion Hall, where more than 50 players competed.

The following year, the legendary NBA Jam was added, and Tecmo Cleveland became Tecmo Jam Cleveland. The event expanded to two days and, after outgrowing another venue, moved to the 30,000-square-foot Wagner’s of Westlake. There, we added a full arcade, more tournaments, vendors, special guests and attractions, transforming the event into a full-fledged gaming convention.

When COVID-19 disrupted live events, CGC went virtual, hosting a marathon of gaming, interviews and programming while raising funds for United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cleveland. Following the pandemic, we returned to Wagner’s for one final event — breaking our attendance records once again and proving it was time for another move.

In 2021, CGC moved to the IX Center, taking the event to an entirely new level. What began with approximately 60,000 square feet of exhibit space quickly grew to more than 250,000 square feet, along with thousands of attendees, hundreds of exhibitors, tournaments, arcades, special guests and programming. 

In 2026, CGC began its next chapter by moving downtown to the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. Located in the heart of downtown Cleveland and connected directly to hotels, restaurants, entertainment and more, the Huntington Convention Center gives CGC an incredible new home.

From a Cleveland living room to one of the region’s largest gaming events, 10 years of CGC has been an incredible journey — and we're just getting started.