Thanks to the combined efforts of NorCal, SoCal, Brokentier and online donators, the fighting game community collectively raised $32,636 to benefit aid relief in Japan. That is an absolutely incredible effort and your generosity has truly blown us away. Everyone involved from the donators, to the organizers, to our sponsors for which this event would have been impossible without, have truly shown why the fighting game community is so uniquely special.

As promised we’ll be sharing with you the receipts from the cash proceeds as we take the venue earnings and place them in our GlobalGiving fund, all of which you will find here. Again, thank you everyone. It was an absolute honor.

- Jared Rea, AJ Papa, Mark Julio

Union City Cash Proceeds (Tournament fees and donations equaled $1,163.00)

Irvine Cash Proceeds (Tournament fees, donations, and raffle revenue equaled $2,824.00)

Schedule

Broadcast begins at 1PM PDT with iPlayWinner
At approximately 6PM PDT, we continue with Level | Up Series

This schedule is always subject to change and we’ll do our best to relay any needed information.
(Time Zone Converter)

Please help us spread the word! Use the Twitter hashtag #FightforRelief and tell your friends! We also have an official thread on NeoGAF. Believe!

How to Enter Online Raffles

Throughout Fight for Relief we’ll be thanking those who donate online with a series online raffle prizes. Entering into these raffles is very simple.

1. First, donate online via Fight for Relief’s GlobalGiving fundraiser page.

2. You’ll then receive an email receipt. Forward this email to fightforrelief@gmail.com in order to verify your details.

Then watch Fight for Relief on justin.tv/fightforrelief to see if you win! We will also be contacting all winners by email. Check out what you could win!

Donation Raffle Prizes

Throughout the day we’ll be randomly selecting winners from those who have donated to Fight for Relief to receive a selection of prizes from our sponsors. If selected you will be announced live on the air as our winner and we will then contact you on Monday morning, April 4.

Some of the the random raffle prizes include..

- Kayane Prize Package: A signed photo of the women’s world Super Street Fighter IV champion and a Chun-li Mad Catz Tournament Edition FightStick
- HORI Real Arcade Pro Arcade Sticks
- An extremely rare Juri wooden pin, only 3 in existence (Thank you, Seth!)
- Special surprise raffles by MarkMan at Mad Catz

The Golden FightStick

To the person who makes the single largest donation to our fundraiser, they will be awarded with an extremely rare Golden Mad Catz EVO 2010 Tournament Edition Stick, one of 24 in existence. This donation must be made in one lump sum, multiple donations may not be combined. We want this stick to be given to a true hero of the community and thus, would like to discourage a bidding war. The winner will be announced on air and will be contacted on Monday morning, April 4.

With only two days remaining until Fight for Relief, it’s about time that we fill you all in on the special raffle prizes that we’ll be giving away to our online donators. But first, from all the Fight for Relief staff, we’d like to thank each and every one of you who has helped us spread the word about this fantastic event. From all the media coverage to the outpouring of positivity, it’s meant a lot to all of us and we can’t wait to kick off our fundraiser for Japan.

For those who are physically attending one of our Fight for Relief events (and you can find more information in the navigation to your right) we’ll have raffle promotions throughout the day, with more information available at the venues. Everyone else tuning into the live broadcast via justin.tv, we’ll have some very special gifts for those who choose to donate.

In order to participate in the online raffles, you’ll have to complete a very simple two-step process detailed on our Donate page. First, simply donate to the Fight for Relief Fundraiser on GlobalGiving.org, which will go live on April 3. You will then receive an email receipt. You must then forward this receipt to fightforrelief@gmail.com to participate in the raffle. This is basically an extra verification step for us to confirm your details and prevent someone from gaming the system.

So what prize could possibly be so great that we have to take extra precautions? Read on to find out..

While we’ll have plenty of smaller prizes to surprise you with throughout the broadcast from both iPlayWinner and Level | Up Series, there are two in particular that stand out.

The first is a very special prize package that we put together with the help of one of our favorite members of the global fighting game community. We’re extremely proud to announce our collaboration with the EVO 2010 Super Street Fighter IV Women’s Champion, Marie-Laure Norindr, better known as the Chun-li phenom, Kayane.

Like all of us, the ever gracious Kayane wanted to do what she could to help us raise money for Japan relief efforts and even agreed to run with what was admittedly a very goofy idea. To the two lucky donors who are selected for the Kayane prize package, they will receive a signed photo (taken by Minh Phan. Thanks, Minh!) of the champ herself, along with a Mad Catz Super Street Fighter IV Chun-Li Tournament Edition “S” FightStick.

We’re very thankful for Kayane’s help and we hope this will encourage even more people to donate to our cause!

And now for the big one..

Everyone here on the Fight for Relief staff is very serious about this cause and want to do everything we can to make this fundraiser a success and no one is more committed to this effort than Mark “MarkMan” Julio of Mad Catz. This should come as no surprise at all as MarkMan has always been extremely devoted to the fighting game community and has worked very hard over the past few years doing everything he can to help nurture and promote the scene. But we had no idea exactly how devoted he was to our charity efforts until he offered up one of the most sought after pieces of fighting game memorabilia ever created.

That’s right. A Golden Mad Catz EVO 2010 Tournament Edition Stick. And it’s going to whomever makes the single largest contribution to our fundraising effort.

The Golden TE is the stuff of legends. There were only 24 ever produced and the owner of this stick will become part of an extremely exclusive group of fighting game luminaries such as the legendary Daigo Umehara, Ricky Ortiz, Mike Ross, Capcom’s own Seth Killian, Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono and yeah, even Kayane.

There is no telling when any of these sticks will ever be up for grabs again and whomever makes the single largest contribution to our GlobalGiving fundraiser will have it shipped to them straight from MarkMan himself. We’re all committed to doing everything we can to make this fundraiser a success and nothing speaks more to this commitment than what MarkMan has contributed.

There are a few reasons why we’ve decided to go with this method as opposed to simply auctioning it off, the primary reason being we want it to go to a true hero of the fighting game community. Anyone can bid on an auction and if they lose, it’s no big deal. But with Fight for Relief it’ll take a true hero to step up and go big for Japan. We want those who donate to believe in our cause just as much as we do and nothing says commitment quite like a golden TE. We’ll be updating everyone with the status of the current highest contribution throughout the day so stay tuned on April 3!

Again, thank you all very much for your continued support and we’re looking forward to seeing you all on Sunday!

For the first time, two of the fighting game community’s premier streaming groups, iPLAYWINNER and Level | Up Series, in cooperation with Etrium Gaming District and the Fighting Gamers @ UCI, will be collaborating to broadcast an entertaining online show featuring giveaways, special guest interviews and top-level play in Super Street Fighter IV and Marvel vs Capcom 3 from the likes of EG Justin Wong, Alex Valle, John Choi and other competitive legends — all with the intention of raising awareness and donations along the way.

All tournament proceeds and donations raised from Fight for Relief will go towards a collective fundraiser on GlobalGiving.org, a website dedicated to social change and helping victims of natural disasters. More specifically, donations and proceeds will go towards a direct fund dedicated to Japan Earthquake and Tsunami relief efforts.

Through this event fighting game competitors and gamers alike will come together through our favorite hobby to help our fellow man in need. For more information on how to help us spread the word and maximize the impact of our donations, please visit the Connect page. If you’re located near our events in Union City or Irvine, California, please read the information located on this website and come out to support this amazing cause. For everyone else, we look forward to seeing you live via justin.tv/fightforrelief on April 3!

Schedule & Venue Information

Sunday, April 3
Registration: 11AM-12:45PM
Tournaments Begin: 1PM

The Fighting Gamers @ UCI group is a collection of passionate video game players. Most, if not all, of the members are interested in at least one fighting game. Some players are casual gamers and others play these games competitively, but the mixing of these players creates a great learning environment for newcomers.

University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine – Irvine, CA 92697/92612

Room name is Pacific Ballroom A and Pacific Ballroom B. If you park at the parking structure across from the Student Center (color-coded map below), walk into the Student Center, walk beyond the stairs, and you will see signs leading to Pacific Ballrooms. PBA is outside a set of double doors right next to PBB.

Click to Enlarge

Green – This is the Student Center building which will host the event. Once inside, there are tons of signs to lead you to Pacific Ballroom A
Orange – Parking structure closest to the session. It is $8 for all day parking
Red – Parking along the road, between UTC and the apartments. This parking is free 72 hour parking though it is a bit of a walk.

Tournament Rules & Entry Fees

Single game entry: $10
SSF4 and MvC3 entry: $15

Super Street Fighter IV Rules (Singles)
Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3 Setups
All characters allowed
Double elimination format (2 out of 3 rounds, 3 out of 5 grand finals)
Loser may change characters. Winner may change Ultra but only before Loser selects theirs (EVO rule)
Brackets will be  completely randomized
Bring-Your-Own-Controller

Marvel vs Capcom 3 Rules (Singles)
Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3 Setups
All characters allowed
Double elimination format (2 out of 3 rounds, 3 out of 5 grand finals)
Loser may change their team
Current Patch is In Effect
Brackets will be completely randomized
Bring-Your-Own-Controller

Prizes

Fight for Relief is a charity tournament, thus no cash prizes will be awarded to the winners. However, our sponsors have graciously donated prizes in the form of product for the top 3 places in each respective tournament:

1st Place
HORI Real Arcade Pro VX SA (Xbox) (Link)
Astro Gaming A-30 Headset + MixAmp (Link))

2nd Place
HORI Wireless Arcade Stick (PS3) (Link)
Mad Catz Rat7 Gaming Mouse (Link)

3rd Place
NOS T-shirt
Mad Catz T-shirt

Schedule & Venue Information

Sunday, April 3
Pre-Registration: 11AM to 12:45PM
Tournaments Begin: 1PM

The Etrium is Northern California’s premiere casual and competitive gaming venue, catering to gamers of all different skill levels and interests. From it’s regular fighting game and first-person shooter tournaments to it’s dedicated Rock Band Room and Kinect Active Zone, The Etrium invites you to bring your game face.

Please note: The Etrium does not allow outside food or drink, but does feature a fully stocked snack bar. Alcohol use is strictly prohibited. We ask that you please show respect to the rules as The Etrium staff have been both instrumental and hospitable towards making this event possible.

Click Here for Google Map

The Etrium
3101 Whipple Rd #23
Union City, CA 94587

Tournament Rules & Entry Fees

Single game entry: $10
SSF4 and MvC3 entry: $15
(There is a venue fee of $3 that will come out of all entry fees and is not tacked on to the final price.)

Super Street Fighter IV Rules (Singles)
Xbox 360 Setups
All characters allowed
Double elimination format (2 out of 3 rounds, 3 out of 5 grand finals)
Loser may change characters. Winner may change Ultra but only before Loser selects theirs (EVO rule)
Bring-Your-Own-Controller

Marvel vs Capcom 3 Rules (Singles)
Xbox 360 Setups
All characters allowed
Double elimination format (2 out of 3 rounds, 3 out of 5 grand finals)
Loser may change their team
Current Patch is In Effect
Bring-Your-Own-Controller

Prizes

Fight for Relief is a charity tournament, thus no cash prizes will be awarded to the winners. However, our sponsors have graciously parted with some really fantastic gifts to be awarded for our winners. The following prize packages for both Super Street Fighter IV and Marvel vs Capcom 3.

1st Place
HORI Real Arcade Pro VX SA (Xbox) (Link)
Astro Gaming A-30 Headset + MixAmp (Link)
Kineda.com Tee (Link)

2nd Place
HORI Wireless Arcade Stick (PS3) (Link)
Mad Catz Rat7 Gaming Mouse (Link)
Kineda.com Tee

3rd Place
Kineda.com Tee
Mad Catz Shirt

Note: Shipping information will be required to receive the prizes by Mad Catz as they are unfortunately not able to ship their products in time. Fight for Relief Staff will ensure that if you place in the top 3, we have your information.