Virtual reality platforms are moving toward the forefront of modern gaming experience and serious gamers are already staking their claims on the tournament circuit.

“We never imagined getting first place, but we had high hopes and we just kept pushing our limits,” said Davis of the national tournament, in which they competed against dozens of other two-person teams. “Our score from the tournament remains the highest score anyone in the nation has achieved to date.”

The victory earned the pair $2000. In October in a similar tournament the two shared a $1000 prize.

The competition uses advanced technology that immerses players in a realistic 3-D video game world. Players strap into a treadmill-like machine, said Davis, and a headpiece allows a 360-degree view. The combination allows players to move freely in any direction within the game, mimicking the feel of a live experience.

Virtual 42 is one of the few locations in North America where this technology is available for public use.

In the tournament, Engle and Davis had to protect a power core from invading robots. The teens hope to become professional gamers, a lucrative and growing field, and took their training at Virtual 42 seriously.

“Jared and I practiced once per week for several weeks before the tournament,” said Davis. “We designed battle plans and went over plays for hours. These plays were designed around where to run, when to run, where the robots would come from, when our power weapons would spawn, and what weapons hurt which robots the most.”

Virtual 42’s owner, Julia Stalker, introduced the pair a few short months ago and was instrumental in their success in the tournament.

“I think Virtual 42 is a wonderful place where kids can be kids and enjoy themselves,” said Davis. “It’s a place where I can hang out with my friends and family to have fun and relax or just do school work. It’s a great place to hang out, and I would love to see more kids and families from every age group come to experience this place.”

Moving forward, Engle and Davis seek to find sponsors so that they can take on more challenges, but no matter how big they get, they say that Virtual 42 will always be their home base.

Virtual 42 is located in the center of Downtown Washington, at 43 E. Washington Avenue (Route 57). For more about Virtual 42, visit www.Virtual-42.com.