A cut throat competition has recently begun among a select group of students–senior assassin. The premise of the game is simple. Eliminate your target; evade your assassin; the last player standing wins.
“I decided to partake in senior assassin because it seemed like a fun way to end my senior year,” said senior Ryan Pettig. “It’s kind of a way to make people meet new people and go out of their way to do so.”
There were 88 seniors who initially signed up to participate in the real-life water gun battle royale, but since the start of round one on April 8, a significant number of players have been eliminated. Currently, there are 51 active players remaining.
“It was terrifying,” senior Mason Leone said. “I died a coward’s death and loved it.”
It was terrifying.
— Mason Leone
The central hub of the game is an app called “Splashin.” This is where players are able to track their target’s location, view and submit elimination videos, and chat with fellow competitors.
In order to receive the code to join the game, players were required to pay a $3 entry fee. All of the money will be pooled together for a cash prize of $264.
While “Senior Assassin” has been going on for several decades at various schools across the nation, this is the first time Liberty students have ever taken on the challenge. It’s common to find slight variations in the rules from school to school given that there isn’t really an official handbook. The guidelines for Liberty students can be found on the @lhs__seniorassassin Instagram page.
The rules, however, are not entirely set in stone. For example, shortly after the game began, the host decided to alleviate the rule that players must eliminate their target to move on to the next round. This wasn’t a random decision, but rather a response to concerns expressed in the “Splashin” group chat. Even still, some players aren’t happy with the change. The rule is set to be reinstated after the end of round one.
Even though virtually all players are Liberty seniors, the game is not affiliated with Liberty High School or the Wentzville District. So far, there have been no issues with the game interfering with the operation of school, and there are strict rules to prevent such things from happening.
Of course, like many trends, senior assassin has not been a stranger to controversy. Some police departments, such as Arlington Heights PD, have issued warnings, urging players to be conscious of how their actions could be perceived by members of the community who aren’t aware of the game. They note that senior assassin does not violate the law or local ordinance, but nonetheless want to remind players to use common sense.
“I don’t think there needs to be any concern for safety,” said Pettig. “I think the rules of the game clearly state how to play safely–how to play the correct way.”
