Gaming
esports
"Street Fights" in the middle of New York Times Square
Ahead of its premier fighting game invitational, Red Bull hosts a one-of-a-kind encounter under the bright lights of Broadway.
Two performers. A spectacle of sight and sound. A crowd looking on in wonder and raising a ruckus. You’d be forgiven for thinking that in the middle of Times Square, such a description would be an afterthought. Just another day at the most famous landmark in New York. But on March 1st, there was good reason to pause and look up at the parade of advertisements as live matches of Street Fighter 6 dominated the displays near Duffy Square and those iconic red steps.
Red Bull Kumite activation event in Times Square, New York City
© Nicole Fara Silver / Red Bull Content Pool
In the four hours that Red Bull hosted its Pop-Up, a mixture of Fighting Game Community (FGC) members, streamers, comedians, tourists, onlookers ready to prove their worth, and more were locked in heated battles in a crowded metropolis. They came in at all skill levels ready and eager to play the latest edition of the classic fighting game series. It was the arcade experience multiplied by a factor of thousands.
The event had all the fixings of a modern fighting game event, packed neatly into a well-sized tent that provided cover for the console setups. Sign-ups included both casual play and being a part of the main event, which was on display for Times Square. No million-dollar prize on the line, just the bragging rights for decimating opponents on the grand stage. The action was called by stalwarts of the New York fighting game scene Joe "LI Joe" Ciaramelli and Javits Arias. If you were putting on a good show on the sticks, they would definitely let you know it. For Arias, the moment was awe-inspiring and a full circle moment for his long commitment to his passion for fighting games.
Red Bull Kumite activation event in Times Square, New York City
© Nicole Fara Silver / Red Bull Content Pool
“It was truly surreal to see the video game franchise that I grew up playing since the early '90s back in the limelight and on display for everyone to see in Times Square,” said Arias. “The fighting game community in New York was pretty hardcore and mostly content with playing in the dingiest arcades as long as the competition was good and fun but that’s not really sustainable to keep these games alive for the masses.”
“Being on the big screen in Times Square is the New York FGC’s opportunity to say ‘This is US! Enjoy the show!’ so I’m super happy to be a part of that.”
The FGC is well-known for its prowess in making a fighting game match happen just about anywhere, so having a live show in Times Square is but a check off on the community’s list of accomplishments. The experience was nearly seamless and if you were paying attention, you could watch the match on the massive billboard and hear the commentary along with every punch and kick in real-time. Andre “Bifu” Augustin, a New York-based Event Broadcaster working in tandem with Red Bull briefly explained that today’s tech was a major factor in making it happen.
Related
“It's kinda amazing where technology is these days,” said Augustin. “We have transmitters that allow for wireless transmission at low latency, which we used on our cameras. For the billboard across Broadway and 7th Ave, the billboard owner provided a wireless transmitter. I would say the delay was under two seconds. Not bad for 1080p60.”
Participants at the Red Bull Kumite activation event in Times Square, NYC
© Nicole Fara Silver / Red Bull Content Pool
“On a Friday night, Times Square sees thousands of visitors. Having members of the FGC play a game in the heart of it was a great achievement.”
Aziza Brown, a long-time FGC member and founder of Dynamik Focus, a fighting game esports team based in New York, got the opportunity to participate in the Red Bull Kumite Pop-Up which allowed her to check off one of the items on her bucket list. The New York native has spent a good bit of time in the area in the past, frequenting events in the city. She was interviewed on the big screen billboard by Lauryn “Toastymarshmellow” Alexandria, who worked the event as a host conducting man-on-the-street style talks for Red Bull.
“I remember being a child and seeing the Broadway lights, the billboards, and everything like that,” said Brown. “You walk through Times Square just to do something or when I would go to the arcades, Broadway Arcade, or Toys R Us to play DDR, it was always a little tiny fantasy of mine like going to Narnia.”
“It's amazing to imagine yourself on it and to actually just see myself talking on a billboard for Red Bull was just epic…It’s insane to think about something that's a tiny piece of your life that you coveted, now being shown to an audience of people who kind of knew what Street Fighter was but were still amazed that this was happening and live in front of them.”
Red Bull Kumite activation event in Times Square, New York City
© Nicole Fara Silver / Red Bull Content Pool
The Pop-Up was a celebration of the spirit of New Yorkers and the natural curiosity for competition that fighting games can provide. The backdrop of New York City has many places it could have hosted, from the house of many famous fights like Madison Square Garden to the massive greenspace provided by Central Park. When asked about potential locations for a Pop-Up in the future, Arias had an answer that leaned on the historical aspects of both fighting games and New York.
“I think it would be cool to do a pop-up event at an actual bodega or laundromat just to honor the history of where most New Yorkers were introduced to their first Street Fighter game.”
For Augustin though, Times Square was the perfect location, “It is replicated in Street Fighter 6 as well as Tekken 8,” he said. “People who see it will be like, ‘Hey it's like that in the game too.’ I feel like that connection of it in the game while playing it within the place it was inspired by made this event so great and memorable for all who came for it.”
This will be Red Bull Kumite’s 9th installment of its now legendary fighting game invitational. The borough of Brooklyn will play host to this prestigious event that invites some of the world’s best to compete. Joining them will be both a Play-in winner and a Last Chance Qualifier, giving those in the New York scene a chance to join hometown hero, iDom.
“I’m not going to lie, New York City has been host to the greatest talent for fighting games and the arcade scene has been catering to the FGC for the longest time in New York,” said Brown.
“From Chinatown Fair to Broadway Arcade to NLBC. Red Bull hosting over here brings so much life back to the FGC and I’m so happy that Kumite is being hosted here.”
Red Bull Kumite New York will take place on March 16 - 17 at Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse in Brooklyn, NY.
