Summary

Since 2017, undead YouTuber Drac and his friends have worked with select University HvZ clubs to host an annual invitational during the summer academic break. In later years, this also included a convention and competitive tournament to round out the weekend. In 2018, Endwar boasted arguably the largest attendance for an HvZ invitational, with over 800 players playing in Athens, OH.

While previously, it has rotated between universities, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is now an established partner venue. 2024 was the second time UNCC hosted Endwar; it featured a jungle safari Indiana Jones-esque theme. Being one of the highest-profile large-scale HvZ games, Endwar continues to be a destination for many hobbyists.

Some features include…

Extremely Immersive Theming

Since the beginning, Endwar has had some of the most immersive theming in an invitational, including NPC costumes, multimedia cutscenes, and a cohesive storyline from the event announcement to the final mission.

Regional Rule Variety

Because four of the six Invitationals have been hosted in different locations, and the hosting university’s HvZ club is a crucial partner in planning the event, rules can vary slightly from year to year. This does cause occasional controversy, such as in 2022 when humans were given an achievable win condition. However, many still consider this a positive way to showcase the uniqueness of each of the hosts’ campuses and rules.

Troll Squad

One unique mechanic popularized by its inclusion in previous Endwar HvZ games was “Troll Squad.” This is an alternative strategy to improving early game balance by enabling a faction of humans to ditch their blasters and temporarily play as zombies for a single mission.