The PlayEX Arena will be BACK at PeoriaCon 2026!
"We’re thrilled to announce that Playex Esports will be joining us at PeoriaCon®! Get ready for live esports competitions that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or just love the thrill of competitive play, you won’t want to miss the action. Details on tournaments, games, and how to participate will be coming soon—so sharpen those skills and prepare to go head-to-head with the best!" - PeoriaCon Newsletter (8/24)
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2026 will be our third year at PeoriaCon and we're so excited to announce our tournament lineup...
PeoriaCon 2026
March 7 - 8, 2026
Peoria Civic Center - 201 SW Jefferson Ave, Peoria, IL
Hosted by PlayEX and PeoriaCon
Tournament Rules / Formats
Date: Saturday, March 7 2026
Time: 11:00am CST start time
Format: FFA (free for all)
Player Cap: 48 (plus wait list)
Entry Fee: $15 pre-registration, $20 at door, $10 early bird (Jan 1-Feb 1)
ROUND 1: QUALIFIERS (ALL 48)
6 races @ 150cc | No CPUs - 12 players only | Normal Items | All karts
Course repicks disallowed - see repick penalty rule below.
All courses are valid, including transition/intermission tracks. Note: transition courses that end at previously-raced courses are NOT allowed. Transitions courses that begin at previously-raced courses ARE allowed.
Normal items will be used.
Since we anticipate having full lobbies of 12 players, CPUs will be turned OFF. No races will have more than 12 racers.
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TOP 5 RACERS ADVANCE TO SEMIFINALS.
6th, 7th, and 8th PLACE RACERS ADVANCE TO SECOND CHANCE ROUND.
9th - 12th PLACE RACERS ARE ELIMINATED*
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*Despite being eliminated, these players MAY be called to fill in absent spots in the second chance round. These substitution players will be selected based on highest score from qualifier rounds. We will announce if substitute players are needed via the arena PA system. If you do not hear yourself being called, or arrive too late, your place will be forfeited. This decision by tournament staff is final.
ROUND 2: SECOND CHANCE (12 PLAYERS)
6 races @ 150cc | No CPUs - 12 players only | Normal Items | All karts
Course repicks disallowed - see repick penalty rule below.
All courses are valid, including transition/intermission tracks. Note: transition courses that end at previously-raced courses are NOT allowed. Transitions courses that begin at previously-raced courses ARE allowed.
Normal items will be used.
Since we anticipate having full lobbies of 12 players, CPUs will be turned OFF. No races will have more than 12 racers.
​
TOP 4 RACERS ADVANCE TO SEMIFINALS.
5th - 12th PLACE RACERS ARE ELIMINATED*
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*Despite being eliminated, these players MAY be called to fill in absent spots in the semifinals round. These substitution players will be selected based on highest score from the second chance round. We will announce if substitute players are needed via the arena PA system. If you do not hear yourself being called, or arrive too late, your place will be forfeited. This decision by tournament staff is final.
ROUND 3: SEMIFINALS (TOP 24)
8 races @ 150cc | No CPUs - 12 players only | Normal Items | All karts
Course repicks disallowed - see repick penalty rule below.
All courses are valid, including transition/intermission tracks. Note: transition courses that end at previously-raced courses are NOT allowed. Transitions courses that begin at previously-raced courses ARE allowed.
Normal items will be used.
Since we anticipate having full lobbies of 12 players, CPUs will be turned OFF. No races will have more than 12 racers.
​
TOP 6 RACERS ADVANCE TO FINALS.
7th - 12th PLACE RACERS ARE ELIMINATED*
​
*Despite being eliminated, these players MAY be called to fill in absent spots in the finals round. These substitution players will be selected based on highest score from the semifinals round. We will announce if substitute players are needed via the arena PA system. If you do not hear yourself being called, or arrive too late, your place will be forfeited. This decision by tournament staff is final.
ROUND 4: GRAND FINALS (FINAL 12)
12 races @ 150cc | No CPUs - 12 players only | Normal Items | All karts
Course repicks disallowed - see repick penalty rule below.
All courses are valid, including transition/intermission tracks. Note: transition courses that end at previously-raced courses are NOT allowed. Transitions courses that begin at previously-raced courses ARE allowed.
Normal items will be used.
Since we anticipate having full lobbies of 12 players, CPUs will be turned OFF. No races will have more than 12 racers.
1 Knockout Tour @ 150cc | 12 players + 12 CPUs | Normal Items | All karts
All finalists will also play an additional ONE knockout tour. All knockout tours are valid, and players will vote on which one they'd like to race in the lobby.
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Placement in the knockout tour will award a bonus percentage to all players that will be applied to their scores from the finals grand prix races. This final score will be used to determine final placement in the tournament. Percentage bonuses will be awarded as follows:
Placement | Score Bonus | Placement | Score Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | +60% | 13 | +22% |
2 | +55% | 14 | +20% |
3 | +50% | 15 | +15% |
4 | +45% | 16 | +15% |
5 | +40% | 17 | +15% |
7 | +38% | 19 | +10% |
6 | +38% | 18 | +10% |
8 | +35% | 20 | +10% |
9 | +32% | 21 | +10% |
10 | +30% | 22 | +10% |
11 | +28% | 23 | +10% |
12 | +25% | 24 | +10% |
Score totals will be rounded to the nearest integer.
Date: Sunday, March 8 2026
Time: 12:00pm CST start time
Format: FFA (free for all)
Player Cap: 64 (plus wait list)
Entry Fee: $10 pre-registration, $15 at door
This tournament will feature 4 classic Jackbox games. Competitors will play in 1 qualifier of their choice. The winners of each qualifier advance to the grand finale!
ROUND 1: QUIPLASH 3 (24 players)
3 games, 8 players per game
Players will be divided up into 3 groups of 8. Each group will play one game of Quiplash 3. The 1st place winner from each game will advance to the grand finals. This means that 3 players will advance from the first round.
ROUND 2: DRAWFUL 2 (24 players)
3 games, 8 players per game
Players will be divided up into 3 groups of 8. Each group will play one game of Drawful 2. The 1st place winner from each game will advance to the grand finals. This means that 3 players will advance from the first round.
ROUND 3: FIBBAGE 4 (16 players)
2 games, 8 players per game
Players will be divided up into 2 groups of 8. Each group will play one game of Fibbage 4. The 1st place winner from each game will advance to the grand finals. This means that 2 players will advance from the first round.
GRAND FINALE: YOU DON'T KNOW JACK FULL STREAM (Final 8 players)
3 games, 8 players per game
The top 8 players will play three full games of You Don't Know Jack Full Stream. Points will be cumulated across each game, and the top scoring player at the end will be the Champion!
Audience participation will be turned on throughout the entire tournament, so even if you're not up playing, you can directly affect the outcome! This will also include our online stream audience!
Each game will have moderation enabled and will be monitored by our production team.
Competitors will need to provide their own mobile device to play on (a phone is fine, we'll have a temporary wifi network available for you to use).
Travel to the Convention
From Chicago metro area, use Interstate-55 south, take I-74 West in Bloomington, IL. In Peoria, use exit 93 towards Downtown Peoria. Take left on NE Adams Ave. Take right on N William Kumpf Blvd. Civic Center will be on the right.
From Wisconsin (Madison, points north), follow I-90 East, then follow I-39 South in Rockford. Take I-74 West in Bloomington, IL. In Peoria, use exit 93 towards Downtown Peoria. Take left on NE Adams Ave. Take right on N William Kumpf Blvd. Civic Center will be on the right.
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For eastern Wisconsin (Milwaukee, etc) - follow I-94 East to I-294 South. Then follow I-55 South. Follow top instructions from there.
Registration
Stay tuned for PeoriaCon 2026 registration info!
