• Guide

2024 Classic Tetris World Championship: Prize pool, schedule, and how to watch

The biggest Classic Tetris tournament in the world has found a new home and is happening early this year. Here's everything you need to know.

Ozzie Mejia

June 7, 2024 6:00 AM

CTWC

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The 2024 Classic Tetris World Championship has arrived. Some might be doing a double take and asking, "Wait, isn't this a little early in the year for this?" Things are indeed different for 2024, which just happens to be the 40th anniversary of Tetris. The biggest Classic Tetris tournament in the world has now moved from the Portland Retro Gaming Expo in Portland, Oregon to the SoCal Retro Gaming Expo in Pasadena, CA. Tetris for the original NES will primarily take center stage, but there are some other competitions being held as well. Here's everything you need to know.

What are the rules to the Classic Tetris World Championship tournament?

The rules to the Classic Tetris World Championship will remain the same as they were in 2023. Players will compete in the original 8-bit NES version of Tetris (not the Tengen version). NES consoles, Tetris cartridges, and NES controllers will all be provided to participants. The option to bring a controller from home is available, but it must be a standard, unmodified NES controller, NES "dog bone" controller, Hyperkin "Cadet" style controller, or "Goofy Foot" style controller. The entry fee is $50 USD, which entitles entrants to a live two-hour qualifying session. The goal is to gain the highest score possible in Type-A Tetris.

The qualifying round is set to begin on Friday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. PT, then from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. PT, and one more from 3:30 p.m. PT-5:30 p.m. PT. One last qualifying slot is available on Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. PT for those who purchased the Ultra Combo Gold Edition 2-Day Package for the expo. Players will start their qualifying attempts on Type-A Tetris on Level 9 and go from there. Upon maxing out, players must alert a judge on-hand to record the score.

While there are periods designated for on-site qualifiers to attempt to advance to the bracketed Sunday tournament, there are several players who have already advanced to the bracketed round based on prior results at previous Tetris competitions.

How much is the 2024 Classic Tetris World Championship prize pool?

The 2024 Classic Tetris World Championship will award over $10,000 USD in cash. Prize allocation will be determined by the CTWC as the tournament progresses.

Tetris Effect: Connected side tournaments will also be held on-site at the SoCal Retro Gaming Expo. Details can be found on the Tetris Effect website. This is just for fun, but those looking for information on the Tetris Effect: Connected World Championship for 2024 should stay tuned. Details are expected in the future.

How to Watch the 2024 Classic Tetris World Championship

All of this weekend's festivities can be viewed from the Classic Tetris Twitch channel.

Here is the full schedule for this weekend, taken from the SoCal Retro Gaming Expo website (All times PT):

Some readers might be asking what exactly that "Special Event" slot is for Friday. It's a first look at the new Chromatic handheld device from the team at ModRetro, which will be demonstrated with a special Tetris tournament. For more details on that, check out the ModRetro website.

How to watch the 2024 Classic Tetris World Championship VODs

The top matches from throughout the weekend will be posted in full on the Classic Tetris YouTube channel, all of which can be viewed on demand.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?