Combo Breaker FGC Event “Mortally Injured” By Tariffs, Says Event Director

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In recent times, the global gaming scene has experienced a significant shake-up due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs imposed on numerous countries worldwide. As a result, Nintendo postponed preorders for its upcoming Switch 2 console in both the United States and Canada, while Razer withdrew all their gaming laptop models from direct sales within the U.S. Marking another impact, organizers of major fighting game tournaments are now expressing concerns about potential future changes to these events.

Rick Thiher, who serves as both Evo’s general manager and Combo Breaker‘s event director in Illinois, expressed his thoughts on tariffs via BlueSky. He found it astonishingly unexpected that “Combo Breaker could suffer a fatal blow from tariffs,” given the various ways the event has been impacted over the years. In response to a comment on his post, Thiher elaborated on how these tariffs have caused significant trouble for the event.

In his response, Thiher pointed out that during the discussion about the event, it was emphasized that our sustainability stems from an annual product line. He explained that the merchandise currently being received has markups ranging from 49% to 104%. Unfortunately, there’s no sales potential in shirts priced at $90 USD, which means the line is more likely a drain on expenses rather than a source of revenue. This is indeed a tough situation to be in.

As of now, there have been no official announcements regarding changes to Combo Breaker 2025, set to take place May 23-25 in Schaumburg, Illinois. Similarly, there has been no comment from the Evo team about Evo 2025, scheduled for August 1-3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

According to the Entertainment Software Association, the proposed tariffs could negatively affect the entire gaming industry. To voice your concerns about this matter, the ESA suggests contacting your local representatives in government, as it’s important for them to understand that you care about this issue.

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2025-04-09 18:39