DreamHack says goodbye to BYOCs after 32 years

Yesterday, DreamHack published an article officially announcing that the Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) section of their festival will be ended moving forward. Since the beginning of esports, BYOC LANs have been an institution as people engage in the time-honored tradition of barely getting their setups to an event safely for a chance to compete alongside friends.

While the BYOCs will not continue, DreamHack still plans on hosting open competitions at its festivals. "The difference is that we are shifting our focus toward providing those experiences for you."

While the article doesn't provide much detail on the nature of the new system, it is encouraging that open competitions will still be available in some capacity. As anyone who has attended, or tried to attend, a BYOC knows, it is an endeavor.

Moving an entire setup across a city or country is a big task that many would rather avoid out of fear of damaging their equipment. Bringing your own rig and the struggles that come with transporting it is undoubtedly part of the charm, but having setups provided by DreamHack will be a boon for many.

For Counter-Strike, it's been a while since BYOC events have been relevant at the pro or semi-pro level, but there is a rich history. For DreamHack specifically, the first-ever CS:GO Major had two of its 16 teams qualify through the BYOC LAN.

Though open competitions will persist at DreamHack events, the end of BYOCs is somber news for the many players who appreciated this tradition that harkens back to our esports old days.