Retro South Gaming Convention takes over the MPEC for a second year

Texas (KAUZ) – Gamers are taking over the MPEC this weekend as the Retro South Gaming Convention returns for its second year

The Retro South Gaming Convention isn’t just about gaming. Staff shared that it’s all about everything nerdy in pop culture, from video games and movies to anime and more.

2025 was the inaugural convention, and it saw immediate success among the nerd community here in Texoma.

Now, in its second year, the convention is expanding, with even more vendors, more arcade cabinets and, of course, more fighting game tournaments.

Event founder Eric Conroy shared that he never expected the community to rally around the event the way it has.

“It literally means the world that the community cared enough about our small gaming event to really honestly start asking us for a second year. Even last year, during the convention, we had people coming up and saying, ‘Are you doing this again?’ and we were like, ‘Yeah, for sure.’ So it’s honestly been phenomenal to know that the community supports us so much,” Conroy said

Vendor Nicole Goolsby said she’s been looking forward to the event coming back for another year.

“I’m super excited because I know we have kind of a small town. so when anything that’s like video game, anime, something, I’m like, ‘yes.’ I’m like, ‘finally, that’s my people. that’s my stuff.’ so super happy. like, I’m so happy. I hope it keeps coming back,” Goolsby said.

Conroy said he’s happy to provide something the community has been wanting for years.

“It’s so cool to see that there are people who genuinely want something like this going on in the community and in an event like this. There are just so many people that have told us that this is something they’ve wanted in Wichita Falls. This is something Wichita Falls needed. And I’m just so stoked that we were able to bring that and that people are genuinely excited about it,” Conroy said.

The convention, just like last year, will be held in the MPEC’s Ray Clymer Exhibit Hall.

The Retro South Gaming Convention opens its doors to the public on Saturday, September 5 at 10:30 a.m., with people able to purchase tickets online or at the convention floor.

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