Over the next few days, three very different tournaments will grace the fighting game community. The first, Combo Breaker, is making its debut as the spiritual successor of Ultimate Fighting Game Tournament; the second, Battle Arena Melbourne, has set its sights on Australia’s southeastern coast for a seventh outing; and the third, Stunfest 2015, will once more show the prowess of the French scene.
If you’re interested in checking out what they have to offer but can’t make the respective trips to check them out in person, don’t fret! Like many other events, they will both feature a bevy of live content and excitement for you to partake in throughout the weekend. Keep reading for further details.
Combo Breaker
Taking place in Chicago, Illinois, Combo Breaker is looking to fill the void Ultimate Fighting Game Tournament’s departure left behind. With a ton of the same organizing talent behind the scenes and a unique personality rarely seen in the fighting game community, its primed to have a great first showing.
Combo Breaker will feature a lineup consisting of 20 (yes, two-zero) games, from current powerhouses like Ultra Street Fighter IV and Mortal Kombat X to old-school favorites Vampire Savior and Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Hell, they’ve even sprinkled in a fair share of indie goodness as well with appearances by Skullgirls Encore, Divekick, and Lethal League. With so much love being spread around, it should be pretty easy to find something to enjoy.
The excitement will also be kicked up a notch thanks to the variety of pot bonuses being offered. Mortal Kombat X and Killer Instinct have both received an added $10,000, Skullgirls Encore players can look forward to another $2,000 in their prize pool, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will see a cool bonus of $1,000, Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- has been given $750, and, last but not least, Divekick’s payouts will see an upgrade to the tune of $250.
And, lest we forget, Combo Breaker is also serving as a ranking event on the Capcom Pro Tour, meaning the top sixteen finalists in Ultra Street Fighter IV will be rewarded with qualifying points based on their placing. These will go a long way to securing a spot in the Capcom Cup 2015 bracket later this year, so expect more than a few fierce matchups.
It probably goes without saying, but there will be a ridiculous amount of talent in Chicago this weekend. A quick perusal of the pool assignments show a ton of notable competitors, including folks like EG|Ricki Ortiz, BT|Viscant, Wolfkrone, l|Nuckledu, EG|Justin Wong, CCG|Air, TS|NerdJosh, cR|Sonic Fox, GGA|Dizzy, YOMI|Michaelangelo, TS|Arturo Sanchez, REO, CORN|Footwurk, HB|Tyrant, GS|gllty, FightingGM, CORN|AXIS, BananaKen, and many, many more.
You’ll find links to every stream as well as adjusted schedules below, so be sure to tune in!
Team Spooky
Friday
| Event | CDT (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| Mystery Tournament | 1:00 PM | 11:00 AM | 2:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| UMvC3 Auction | 1:30 PM | 11:30 AM | 2:30 PM | 6:30 PM |
| Killer Instinct | 5:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 10:00 PM |
| MKX | 7:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 12:00 AM |
| USFIV Auction | 11:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 12:00 AM | 4:00 AM |
Saturday
| Event | CDT (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| MKX | 10:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| USFIV | 12:00 PM | 10:00 AM | 1:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| TTT2 Top 8 | 4:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| UMvC3 Top 8 | 6:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 11:00 PM |
| Skullgirls Top 8 | 8:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 1:00 AM |
| MKX Auction | 10:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 11:00 PM | 3:00 AM |
| Killer Instinct Saucey Suite | 12:00 AM | 10:00 PM | 1:00 AM | 5:00 AM |
Sunday
| Event | CDT (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| Mystery Semifinals | 10:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| GGXrd Top 8 | 11:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 4:00 PM |
| Mystery Semifinals | 1:00 PM | 11:00 AM | 2:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| Killer Instinct Top 8 | 2:00 PM | 12:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| Announcements | 4:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| Mystery Finals | 4:30 PM | 2:30 PM | 5:30 PM | 9:30 PM |
| USFIV Top 8 | 5:30 PM | 3:30 PM | 6:30 PM | 10:30 PM |
| MKX Top 8 | 7:30 PM | 5:30 PM | 8:30 PM | 12:30 AM |
VGBootCamp
Friday
| Event | CDT (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| SSBM Doubles | 3:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| SSB4 Auction | 9:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 10:00 PM | 2:00 AM |
Saturday
| Event | CDT (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| SSB4 | 10:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| SSBM | 2:00 PM | 12:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| USFIV Top 32 | 8:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 1:00 AM |
Sunday
| Event | CDT (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| Lethal League Top 4 | 10:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| USFIV Top 16 | 11:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 4:00 PM |
| SSBM Top 8 | 1:00 PM | 11:00 AM | 2:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| SSB4 Top 16 | 3:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
Callisto
Friday
| Event | CDT (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| UMvC3 | 5:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 10:00 PM |
| Skullgirls | 7:00 PM | 5:00 AM | 8:00 PM | 12:00 AM |
Saturday
| Event | CDT (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| GGXrd | 10:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| Skullgirls Top 16 | 2:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| Injustice Top 4 | 4:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| MKX Top 32 | 6:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 11:00 PM |
| GGXrd Top 16 | 8:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 1:00 AM |
| P4U2 Top 4 | 10:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 11:00 PM | 3:00 AM |
| Skullgirls Saturday Night Salt | 11:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 12:00 AM | 4:00 AM |
Sunday
| Event | CDT (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| KOFXIII Top 4 | 10:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| Killer Instinct Top 16 | 11:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 4:00 PM |
| MKX Top 16 | 1:00 PM | 11:00 AM | 2:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| UNIEL Top 8 | 2:00 PM | 12:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| Divekick Top 8 | 4:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
Galloping Ghost Arcade
Friday
| Event | CDT (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| UMK3 | 5:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 10:00 PM |
| Garou: MOTW | 9:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 10:00 PM | 2:00 AM |
Saturday
| Event | CDT (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| MvC2 | 12:00 PM | 10:00 AM | 1:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| Vampire Savior | 6:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 11:00 PM |
Battle Arena Melbourne 7
While Combo Breaker is popping off in Chicago, the folks behind Couch Warriors will be hosting the seventh installment of Battle Arena Melbourne in Australia.
Much like the American event, Battle Arena Melbourne 7 is set to feature an impressive collection of titles for competition, stretching all the way back to games like Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Super Smash Bros. 64. Pot bonuses also abound here, with an additional $1,000 provided to Mortal Kombat X by Warner Bros. Games Australia, $750 for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U from BenQ, and $500 apiece to Ultra Street Fighter IV and Super Smash Bros. Melee from Couch Warriors themselves.
Additionally, Battle Arena Melbourne will serve as the third qualifier for the Mortal Kombat X Asia Pacific Championships, the winner of which will earn a spot in the finals event at South East Asia Major 2015 later this year.
But it won’t be just Australian talent in attendance. Three-time Evo champion Carl “RZR|Perfect Legend” White has made the trip to compete in a variety of games, as has a group of nine international Smash players made up of players like Adam “a|Armada” Lindgren, Joseph “C9|Mango” Marquez, William “TSM|Leffen” Hjelte, and more.
We’ve included a converted finals schedule below for folks living outside of Australia; check it out and adjust your clocks accordingly. As the organizers have yet to release a concrete stream schedule, we can’t guarantee anything below will be broadcast, so be sure to keep your eyes on New Game Plus TV and Melbourne Melee.
Sunday
| Event | AEST (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| SSB4 Doubles | 9:00 AM | 4:00 PM (Sat.) | 7:00 PM (Sat.) | 11:00 PM (Sat.) |
| SSBM Doubles | 12:00 PM | 7:00 PM (Sat.) | 10:00 PM (Sat.) | 2:00 AM |
| SSB4 | 12:00 PM | 7:00 PM (Sat.) | 10:00 PM (Sat.) | 2:00 AM |
| UMvC3 | 12:00 PM | 7:00 PM (Sat.) | 10:00 PM (Sat.) | 2:00 AM |
| USFIV Teams | 1:00 PM | 8:00 PM (Sat.) | 11:00 PM (Sat.) | 3:00 AM |
| DOA5LR | 2:00 PM | 9:00 PM (Sat.) | 12:00 AM | 4:00 AM |
| MKX | 6:00 PM | 12:00 AM | 3:00 AM | 7:00 AM |
| SSBM | 7:00 PM | 1:00 AM | 4:00 AM | 8:00 AM |
| USFIV | 8:00 PM | 2:00 AM | 5:00 AM | 9:00 AM |
Stunfest 2015
And last but certainly not least, we have Stunfest 2015, the latest edition of the French tournament series that began just two years ago. As this weekend’s only Capcom Pro Tour premier event, you can expect a ton of talent to make their way to Rennes and compete.
Some of the top players in France this weekend include YBK|SuperSantarouMan, RF, BAS, EBI, Poongko, MCZ|Daigo Umehara, RZR|Xian, EG|Momochi, and MCZ|Tokido, but you can expect the local population to put up a hell of a fight to defend their turf.
As a premier event, Stunfest’s champion will be awarded automatic entry to Capcom Cup’s finals bracket later this year, with the rest of top sixteen awarded additional points towards their overall ranking. If you’re a fan of Ultra Street Fighter IV, this will certainly be the tournament to keep your eye on over the next few days.
A rough schedule of start times for each game has been included below, and all three streams can be found through Stunfest TV.
Friday
| Event | CEST (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| Breakers Revenge | 2:00 PM | 5:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM |
| CvS2 | 2:00 PM | 5:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM |
| SCV | 3:00 PM | 6:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 1:00 PM |
Saturday
| Event | CEST (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| GGXrd | 2:00 PM | 5:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM |
| SFIII:3S Teams | 2:00 PM | 5:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM |
| SSFIIT Teams | 2:00 PM | 5:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM |
| KOFXIII | 2:00 PM | 5:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM |
| USFIV Teams | 2:00 PM | 5:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM |
| UMvC3 | 2:00 PM | 5:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM |
| MKX | 3:00 PM | 6:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 1:00 PM |
Sunday
| Event | CEST (Local) | PDT | EDT | GMT |
| USFIV | 10:00 AM | 1:00 AM | 4:00 AM | 8:00 AM |
| SSB4 | 1:00 PM | 4:00 AM | 7:00 AM | 11:00 AM |
| SSFIIT | 1:00 PM | 4:00 AM | 7:00 AM | 11:00 AM |
| TTT2 | 1:00 PM | 4:00 AM | 7:00 AM | 11:00 AM |
| BBCPEX | 1:00 PM | 4:00 AM | 7:00 AM | 11:00 AM |
All in all, this weekend will provide another few days of fantastic competition, so don’t miss out!
Sources: Combo Breaker, Couch Warriors, Stunfest
