Credit: The Esports Observer/Esports Business Solutions UG
Combo Breaker 2019, the latest entry in the annual Midwest fighting game tournament, took place this weekend (May 24-26) at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois—about an hour outside of Chicago. It was the fifth Combo Breaker event to date, and it hosted competitions for more than 20 games, including the first major Mortal Kombat 11 LAN tournament and a Master stop for the Tekken World Tour.
It was also a big showcase for partnered brands, as Combo Breaker secured a pair of non-endemic presenting sponsors—Samsung and Simple Mobile—for this year’s event, along with familiar esports-aligned brands such as Red Bull and Astro Gaming 
. Beyond the usual influx of brand partners’ logos around the stage and venue, here’s a look at how some of the biggest sponsors activated at the event this year.
Credit: The Esports Observer/Esports Business Solutions UG
Samsung’s large booth was the first thing attendees saw when coming through the entrance of the Mega Center arena, as the electronics company provided chairs to relax in and Galaxy S10 smartphones to try out. The booth also had several game console setups with fighting games, letting attendees stop by for a quick round of Tekken 7, for example.
Credit: The Esports Observer/Esports Business Solutions UG
Wireless service provider Simple Mobile’s logo also appeared in that booth, but the company’s most functional contribution came elsewhere with smartphone charging banks that let attendees plug in and place a phone into a locked receptacle. One was found in the Mega Center near the Samsung booth, while another (pictured) was located in the St. Charles Ballroom that had tournaments primarily for older and/or smaller games.
Credit: The Esports Observer/Esports Business Solutions UG
Energy drink brand and marketing company Red Bull sponsored multiple competitors over the weekend, but also had a significant presence itself within the venue. Branded fridges stocked with Red Bull cans were seen on both ends of the main stage, plus the company had a booth in the main arena that sold Red Bull cans, Red Bull-infused slushies, and alcoholic cocktails featuring the drink.
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Endemic hardware sponsors focused on interactive activations at Combo Breaker. Hit Box, a company that makes specialized fighting game controllers that replace the typical arcade stick with multiple buttons, had the peripherals set up for attendees to try with multiple games. Likewise, Astro Gaming—which was announced as the official audio sponsor of the Tekken World Tour on May 26—had a booth at which attendees could try out the company’s headsets and high-end, customizable game controllers.
Credit: The Esports Observer/Esports Business Solutions UG
Similarly, Autumn Games had a booth for mobile fighting game Skullgirls Mobile, with several Razer Phone 2 demo units running the game, as well as physical versions of the in-game collectible cards available as giveaways. The company also held a tournament for the game, and awarded Razer-provided gaming hardware as prizes.
Credit: The Esports Observer/Esports Business Solutions UG
At Combo Breaker 2019, The Esports Observer also had a chance to speak with event director Rick Thiher about its evolution and growth over the years, how Combo Breaker best serves sponsors (and how essential sponsors are for the event), and the impact on local business in the far Chicago suburb. Stay tuned for more coverage later this week.
