With the continuing spread of COVID-19 (also known as the coronavirus), the Fighting Game Community is hurting. Not only have many world tours been postponed, tournament organizers are now canceling (or being legally forced to cancel) their events. Players are also canceling their travel plans, leading registration numbers to drop and refunds to mount.
From a public health perspective, these delays and cancellations will help to curb the spread of the disease. Even so, the economics of the situation are dire for our community. Most FGC events operate on microscopically thin margins – that is, if they’re even profitable at all. In catastrophic circumstances like the ones we find ourselves in now, some events may never recover.
That’s why it’s vital for all of us to help out in any way we can. Some TOs have publicly opened up donation drives for their events, such as Alex Jebailey of Community Effort Orlando and one of our unsung heroes, Glacia of Michigan M@sters.
In Eleven years of event hosting I’ve never had to do this.
Since everything for #CEODreamland was ordered to make the event great already before a ton of COVID-19 refunds started to come in.
We’ve set up https://t.co/BABW0rWufy to help support CEO this year if you wish to.
— Alex Jebailey smash.gg/ceodreamland (@Jebailey) March 12, 2020
If you donated to us and want us to keep your registration / donation to help pay this off — please DM ME — @THEICEYGLACEON. Include the name on your paypal account and nothing else.
Online store will be up next week with hopes.
— グレイシア @ #MIMAS2020 Grind 🎤 (@TheIceyGlaceon) March 13, 2020
Moreover, as Ian Davis of Kumite in Tennessee points out, just because a TO isn’t asking for help doesn’t mean that they don’t need and deserve it.
If it comes down to it, you guys better bail out Shin Blanka the way you are bailing out Jebailey. Whatever you want to say about Final Round no one deserves this. And I know Larry is too proud to beg for help. So let me start it right now.
— Ian Davis (@KITVandy) March 12, 2020
Now is the time for the community to come together. People like Jebailey, Glacia, and Shin Blanka have worked tirelessly to build our community over the past several years. Now they’re facing a threat that they couldn’t have prepared for and that they can’t defeat on their own. After all the times they’ve had our backs, it’s only fair that we have theirs.
If you’re fortunate enough to be able to support these TOs financially, please donate. Either way, likes and retweets are free, so please share this information as widely as possible. And if you know of any other TOs that have opened donation drives, tell us by commenting here or tweeting us @toptiergg so that we can get the word out.
Ten0 Media also has a portal where you can directly assist the many community members that need help in this dire time.
Comments