DBLTAP's Brandon Brathwaite recently caught up with Jimmy Nguyen, tournament director for Red Bull Conquest and the co-founder and president of Level-Up, to talk about the upcoming Red Bull Conquest.​





Brandon Brathwaite: Let’s get this first question out of the way now. Where’s DragonBall FighterZ? Was it too early to consider it for Red Bull Conquest?





Jimmy Nguyen: One of the most cherished characteristics of the FGC is being grassroots. At the very core, it is this very characteristic that makes the FGC unique, memorable, and fun to be a part of. When considering the game selection, we took a look at the three genres of fighting games (2D, 3D, and anime) and focused on the games that started the FGC movement. What we settled on are the three games that have the deepest roots in their respective genres; Street Fighter (2D), Tekken (3D), and Guilty Gear (anime).





Remember, this is only Year-1 of Conquest. How Conquest grows and evolves next year is still in the works as we progress through the year.





BB: Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition and Tekken 7 have Pro Circuits and developers that are behind the esports push for their games. Guilty Gear hasn’t seen the same kind of push in the US so what attracted Red Bull to the game? What about the Guilty Gear competitive scene does Red Bull believe will make it a success at Red Bull Conquest?





JN: As previously mentioned, we wanted to look at the games that have the deepest roots across all fighting game genres. In the anime community, Guilty Gear is that game. Whether you ask the players or developers (of other anime titles), you will always find a story or inspiration that leads back to Guilty Gear. This is a community that is hungry for large opportunities of growth and we want to be the ones that give this population of the FGC those opportunities. It’s that hunger that will make Guilty Gear a success at Conquest.





Additionally, the anime community has many untold stories of history, passion, and accomplishments. What better way than to start telling those stories with Guilty Gear, the game that started it all for the anime genre?





BB: Could you elaborate on the rise events for Red Bull Conquest? What will be Red Bull’s involvement in these local events?





JN: The rise events are community and awareness building events that are hosted and conducted by tournament organizers (TO) within each region. The rise events are there to empower each region to come together, build camaraderie, train, and prepare for the regional rally qualifier. The players come first and we want to enable leaders to gather everyone.





While rise events are not officially part of the Conquest circuit, we are here to support the regions to ensure they have successful events. Most rise events will be part of current ongoing weekly and monthly events. Players can talk their local TO and ask if they are hosting some. Also, keep an eye out for rise events on smash.gg.





BB: Red Bull Conquest will be open to all US players with no region-locking. Would you encourage players to make visits to all the events until they qualify or should playing solely for regional pride be their focus?





JN: Since there are only 15 regions on the circuit (16 when including online), we kept Conquest open so that all qualifiers are accessible to all surrounding regions across the country. The FGC is about coming together as one to enjoy time with each other and with fighting games. We believe regional pride will play a big part in how players choose which regions to participate it, even if it’s just their own. We leave it up to them to make the decision while we focus on supporting the FGC the best we can.





BB: The multi-game team competition is a very unique take on team tournaments. What led to making the decision to have a tournament like this, and should the FGC as a whole embrace it?





JN: We looked at the Olympics’ multi-person and multi-event format to draw inspiration for Conquest’s multi-game format. The powerful principle we drew from this prestigious event is that people of any discipline can come together as one to form a strong team to represent their country. We feel this principle is the next step in growth for the FGC and when applied to Conquest, the disciplines would be the three featured games and the representation piece would be the teams and their regions.





One of the goals of Conquest is to build entire regions and in order to build regions, we must focus on innovative ways to bring the FGC together as a whole. By using the multi-game format and expanding our efforts across all fighting game genres, we are widening our reach and influence across all of the FGC, giving us the opportunity to highlight players throughout the country.





Change is a difficult thing to grasp at times, but if we can present change in beneficial ways, we believe the FGC will embrace it with open arms.





BB: Regions are sometimes known for being exceptional at one particular game. Atlanta being known for having amazing Tekken players is one example. Do you think these advantages will play an important part during Red Bull Conquest and the team finals?





JN: Definitely. Having an advantage gives players the upper hand in skill and handling pressure situations. This is great to have during the individual qualifiers, but remember, the team finals consist of three games: SFV, T7, and GG. It will take a combined effort to overcome the other regions and that effort comes in the form of team support, strategy, and communication.

Since the finals is multi-game, teammates can help each other by applying their base fundamentals when coaching each other. Teammates can see things from a different perspective and that can help improve your game. With more experience comes a broader and more refined perspective.





When looking at the bigger picture, having an advantage also benefits the opposition in the form of motivation, baselines, and study material (video footage). Not only will other regions be motivated to dethrone the opposing team, they also have material to study to help them reach a baseline skill set that will make them a formidable foe.





Advantages contribute in many, many ways.





BB: Events DC seemed very excited to be bringing Red Bull Conquest Finals to Washington D.C. How important was it to bringing the event together and how do you feel about potentially being the first esports event at the new Entertainment & Sports Arena?





JN: I wasn’t part of the planning discussions with Events DC so I cannot speak to how it all played out. However, knowing that we will be one of the first events at the new arena is super exciting. This allows us to set the initial bar on how the space can be creatively used to maximize attendee engagement and traffic flow. From a technical standpoint, we're going to push the arena to its limits!





We look forward to doing the very first Conquest Finals with Events DC and we believe the attendees will be in for an awesome treat. If you liked Battle Grounds, you’re really going to like what we do with Conquest.





BB: Red Bull Conquest will also be hosting the Capcom Pro Tour NA Regional Finals. It’s looking to be a big weekend for SFV:AE. How well will these two massive events mesh? Are there any issues that your team can foresee?





JN: Very well, actually. If you look at Red Bull Battle Grounds the previous two years, we also hosted the Capcom Pro Tour NA Regional Finals. We are also hosting the Conquest Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) that same weekend ( Nov. 16-18 ) to determine the final team for the Conquest Finals.





We don’t foresee any issues since we work well with Capcom, and are currently forming the same relationships with Bandai Namco and ArcSys/Aksys. Growth is what we want for the FGC, and we are here to help to create and build the opportunities to do so.





It’s going to be a great and huge weekend for the FGC with SFV, T7, and GG being present under one roof. Stay tuned for more information about the Finals, as the year progresses towards November.





BB: The grand prize for the winning team at the Red Bull Conquest Finals will include a trip to Evo Japan 2019. How important is it for players to get the experience of competing overseas?





JN: It’s very important. Competition is not just about winning or losing. It’s also about diversifying one’s experience to ensure continued growth by gaining the skills and knowledge to find your limits and discover ways to overcome them. By awarding the winning team a trip to EVO Japan, we are giving that team the opportunity to gain that experience.





Growth can come from doing different things you’re interested in, but robust growth comes from doing things you’re not comfortable with. With Conquest, we aim at bringing opportunities to everyone across the country who have been waiting for some.





The opportunities to create new friends and new rivalries in new places are some of the things the players will cherish forever.





BB: Red Bull has definitely proven that it is committed to the FGC. For the Red Bull Conquest, what will have to happen for it to be considered a roaring success?





JN: We believe the success criteria is determined by the following:

Maintaining the culture of the FGC

High levels of community engagement

Discovery of untold stories within the FGC

Building a platform that allows new rising stars to form

Creating opportunities for the FGC to form new relationships and strengthen existing ones

Getting feedback from the community

And most importantly, the community has FUN and wants more





At the end of the day, we want to support the FGC to the fullest extent and grow with them for years to come. We are in it wholeheartedly.





Photo courtesy of Red Bull