The Arcade the FGC Built | Inside Next Level

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“Grew up in Chinatown Fair, matured in Next Level.”
It's time to celebrate another arcade that changed the game. This week, we look at Next Level: Chinatown Fair's spiritual successor and a contemporary hotbed for NYC fighting game talent.
After Chinatown Fair arcade closed in 2011, the ex-manager of the arcade, Henry Cen, knew that the FGC scene needed a new space for the community to keep the competition, the camaraderie, and the vibes alive. In came another humble home for the NYC FGC: Next Level, found in Brooklyn, New York, which quickly became a hotspot for community growth. Whether players wanted to compete in TEKKEN, Street Fighter, Soul Calibur, or anything in between, they had a home at Next Level and built a family together.
We sat down with iconic players and community leaders who were there to help launch and grow this arcade - Joe "LI Joe" Ciaramelli, Arturo "Sabin" Sanchez, Laurence “HeIst” Gagnon, and 2019 Capcom Cup champion Derek “iDom” Ruffin - to learn more about the how Next Level became the modern arcade to take up the mantle of the legendary Chinatown Fair. Hear stories about how the arcade quickly became one of the community’s favorites, bringing together older and newer generations of fighting game players, and breeding champions like iDom. Along with that, get insight into how the FGC - through Team Spooky and Next Level - became one of the early adopters of Twitch, back when it was a small streaming service called Justin.tv.
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