Since our first year, launching a dedicated The Great Zimbabwe Tournament has been a quiet ambition of Splotter Con, and in 2026, it finally feels like the right moment. The Great Zimbabwe is not only a perennial favorite among our attendees, but one of my personal top five games of all time: a design of rare elegance that rewards deep planning, razor-sharp timing, and the courage to embrace asymmetry. Last year’s fan-created Schism expansion only underscored how alive and evolving this game remains within the community, while the steady drumbeat of competitive play, fueled by ongoing online tournaments hosted by our friends at OnlineBoardGamers.com, has made it clear that TGZ is more than a classic; it’s a living competitive system. With its perfect blend of tension, adaptability, and hard-earned mastery, Splotter Con’s inaugural The Great Zimbabwe Tournament feels less like an experiment and more like an inevitability whose time has finally come.