Bandai Namco Has Brought Back The Pac-Man 99 Challenge

Bandai Namco and Nintendo have partnered up again to bring back the Pac-Man 99 Challenge for another massive esports competition. The game is currently free to download from the eShop as long as you have a Nintendo Switch, which will give you plenty of time to practice and become one of the best before they start the challenge in two months. They haven’t revealed what the prizes will be this year, but we do know it will take place across January 2023 with an eventual finals at a TBA physical location. We have more info from Bandai Namco on the event below.

“This year’s Challenge begins as an online tournament but will ultimately culminate in a soon-to-be-announced physical event, where participating content creators and top finishers will be invited to participate in the Finals in front of a live audience. The Pac-Man 99 Challenge online competitions will begin Saturday, January 7, 2023, and take place each consecutive Saturday until January 28th. The Pac-Man 99 Challenge is an esports competition where creators and their viewers face off to see whose community reigns supreme. During each of the weekend tournaments, one content creator will challenge their viewers to ten matches to determine who they will recruit to their squad. Competitors will earn points based on their final placement after each match, with the top 23 players recruited to join the team for the Finals. Five players will compete in person at the live Finals event, while the other players will be able to compete remotely. Only players in the US and Canada are eligible to compete.”

“Pac-Man 99 brings back the classic gameplay of the original Pac-Man with new competitive game mechanics and powerups for a one-of-a-kind battle royale experience for up to 99 players. In the game, players must eat as many Ghosts as they can to slow down their opponents with Jammer Pac-Man. The more Ghosts they eat, the more Jammers they send. The gameplay involves eight different strategies, from speed-up to send extra Jammers and more. Switching between strategies at the right time can be the difference between who becomes Ghost fodder and who remains the last Pac-Man standing.”