This article is part of our Beyond the Game series.
On October 1st and 2nd, Barlays Center in Brooklyn will host ESL One New York, featuring CS:GO and ESL expansion into Street Fighter V. RotoWire eSports editor Joe Bartel talked with ESL Product Manager Stuart Ewen about the upcoming event.
1. Why has ESL decided to get into the fighting game scene now?
We've looked at the FGC before now, and with the popularity of the MKX Pro League combined with a new iteration of Street Fighter it seems like a perfect time to throw our hat into the ring and try something we've never done before!
2. How will this event work alongside the ESL One New York CS:GO competition?
The ESL One NY CS:GO tournament will occupy a lion's share of the main arena in Barclays, while The Brooklyn Beatdown will have a stage in the remainder of the space in the main arena, plus an entire secondary area for pool play and casual setups.
3. What have been some of your experiences within the Street Fighter scene?
Like a lot of people, my first exposure to Street Fighter was EVO Moment #37, it still gives me chills watching that video. Since then, I've been to tournaments in Europe, the USA, Canada, and Japan. For such a relatively small community in the grand scheme of things, I'm always blown away by the energy at these events. I've heard small fighting game tournaments with 100 spectators get louder than Counter-Strike tournaments with 1000 spectators. Everyone has a level of involvement with the tournament beyond being a fan, and the result is incredible.
4. Where does Street Fighter fit among the current popular esports, and do you believe it has a chance to grow into one of the premier competitive games?
Street Fighter for me has always been one of the premier competitive games. It's got a legacy that no other esports title can match, and fills the void of 1v1 titles that came into existence when Deathmatch games' popularity waned. I think it's very difficult to compare to "traditional esports" since the infrastructure for competition has only really come into existence recently with good net play and events all over the world. Even with those challenges though, Street Fighter has been a competitive title since the late '90s and it's showing no signs of slowing down.
5. We've seen a distinct rise in the production level for esports events. How will The Brooklyn Beatdown showcase Street Fighter for the players and the fans?
We're putting an emphasis on storylines and tournament coverage. We want to give the players more chances to be in the spotlight, and to make themselves known to the world. I don't want to spoil any details yet, but we're putting a bit of a twist on the typical FGC event broadcast model so that it's easier to follow everything that's going on at The Brooklyn Beatdown.
6. What kinds of events does ESL have planned for the people attending the event?
There's a lot I can't confirm yet, but there are going to be casual setups for everyone to use if they're not playing at any given time, and of course a CS:GO tournament to watch for those fans that straddle the line between fighting games and shooters. Keep an eye out for more side activity announcements!
7. What can/is ESL planning to do in order to provide more exposure to competitive fighting games, and esports as a whole?
We're hoping to expose CS:GO fans to Street Fighter, and visa versa. I think these days there is more of an overlap than people realize between these two audiences. What we're bringing to the table for the FGC is a higher quality production, to really showcase the passion the players have for Street Fighter 5. The community is growing in a huge way lately, and we want to tell as many of the stories in it as we can.
8. In terms of the competition participating in the event, how many of the upper-echelon players are you expecting to throw their names into the hat, so to speak?
We've already got a number of top level players signed up for The Brooklyn Beatdown. From North America, we've got guys like Justin Wong, Filipino Champ, and Arturo Sanchez. The Japanese players are getting in on the action too; Tokido, Momochi, and Haitani are all registered for the event already. If you've ever wanted to test your skills against the best, here's a chance!
