The streets are cold and quiet, but energy is high at a small bar in First Hill as a community gathers once again to compete in the new game, “Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising.”
@Deyvonn
Seattle Skyfarers Rising – “Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising” top eight.
Seattle Skyfarers Rising, held on Jan. 13, is the fourth installment of a series of tournaments for the franchise, “Granblue”. It is one of many fighting game events in the continuously growing Pacific Northwest fighting game scene.
Taking place at Locust Cider First Hill, it acts as the local hub for anime fighting games for the Seattle area.
The bar hosts many games such as “GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE-“, “Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late”, and “MELTY BLOOD TYPE: LUMINA”. Casual locals (called the Seattle Skirmish) are held every Friday from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. and are open to all ages.
The event held both a singles and 3 vs. 3 team tournament for “Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising” as well as side events for “GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE-“, and “Skullgirls: 2nd Encore”. Events held at Locust Hill are often run by VTuber, and teacher, Angel Rachel (also known as Deyvonn), and veteran tournament organizer, Deniz (@tLozSEA on X).
“This time we also managed the most brackets jam packed into a schedule and it went off without a hitch!” Rachel explained after the tournament. “The Seattle and surrounding areas have a bright future, we’ve been keeping together for awhile now (since the pandemic) and increasing numbers/events as new fighting games release!”
@Deyvonn
Seattle Skyfarers Rising – “Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising” 3 vs. 3 top two teams. Left: Frieren Friday Fans (winning team) Right: Ultimate Skill Simulator.
Since the release of the first iteration back in March 2020, the “Granblue” franchise has managed to become a local favorite that has pushed the scene to be one of the strongest in the United States. Seattle Skyfarers and Seattle Skirmish are just two of the many different events organized by the community around the Pacific Northwest.
Whether you’re a more casual fan of the genre looking to enjoy the games, drinks, and good vibes or a more competitive player similar to the others preparing for the upcoming super-regional, Frosty Fausting, Locust Cider First Hill is a great place to check out if you’re interested in fighting games.
Although Seattle may be difficult for some students to travel to, a fighting game event will be held here at Highline College, Saturday Feb. 10. You can come watch, or compete, at “Backstreet Brawl #2” hosted here at Highline. The doors open at 10 a.m. in Building 10.
Information and pre-registration for “Backstreet Brawl #2” can be found here.
For more information on local events or for a community to play and talk about fighting games, check out the PNW Airdashers discord server.