How a rejected My Little Pony game helped save a historic tournament

Enlarge / These aren't exactly ponies, but we'll get to that. (credit: Mane6)

This is a coronavirus story with a happy ending. We could all use a happy ending right now-remember those? It all starts over seven years ago, long before "pandemic" was a word you had to hear every day, with a group of fans of the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic TV series.

Back in this more innocent time, you might have hopped on the Internet not to read the latest virus news but instead to find an article earnestly explaining to you about bronies and how young adults were really connecting with this cartoon about ponies and friendship. You might have rolled your eyes a bit. But don't judge!

(Full disclosure, my youngest daughter is a super fan, and I've probably seen just about every episode in bits and pieces by now. It's the polar opposite of the Hasbro toy commercials masquerading as shows from my childhood; well-written, thoughtful, and nuanced, with themes that don't insult your intelligence. I can understand how anyone would want to connect with a world like that. The cartoons I watched frankly suck in comparison.)

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