Every year, we carefully review how well Frosty Faustings was executed through experience and feedback, from both our staff and attendees. Our goal is always to strengthen the parts of the event that went well and improve on parts of the event that may need to be adjusted. We are always looking for opportunities to improve the attendee experience, expand our offerings, and make the most of our venue space. We’re excited to share some of the specific improvements coming to FFXIX 2027!
Water Stations: This year, we’re partnering with a dedicated water station rental company to provide filtered water with both cilled and room-temperature options. Featuring faster filling, tamper-proof containers, and a more consistent water supply, these upgrades will make it easier for everyone to stay refreshed and hydrated throughout the weekend.
Congestion Alleviation: We are aware that some spaces in our venue got a bit overly crowded during certain peak times during the event (particularly in the Junior ballroom). To ensure everyone has a comfortable experience and is able to move around easily, we have redesigned the room layout and schedule to provide more space and reduce congestion. We will also be removing the arcade from Magnolia and adding it to the new Harry Caray Rear Dining Hall (more info below). This change will allow the event to restructure tournament setups for a more even distribution in the South Wing Ballrooms.
Temperature Control: The hotel has installed a new ventilation system, which is expected to provide a more consistent and comfortable temperature throughout the event spaces. While we don’t have direct control over the temperature (which is controlled by the hotel staff), we know this change will help keep the ballrooms from getting too hot.
More Casual Setups: While we have always provided many casual setups in our 24-hour venue, we know how important it is to have access to setups to practice and play against new people. We will continue to provide a dedicated 24-hr casuals space in the Harry Caray Ballroom, as well as some casual setups in other ballrooms when they are not used for tournament play.
NEW FOR 2027! We are excited to expand our event into the Harry Caray Rear Dining Hall. This addition will add another large area for casual setups and the arcade! This enhancement will provide another space for gathering throughout the weekend.
Schedule Changes: As our event continues to grow, we’re adjusting our schedule to accommodate more new games while keeping as many returning favorites as possible.
To make this happen, more of our main singles tournament content will be happening on Sunday.
All of our team tournaments (with the exception of Smash and Rivals 2) will take place on Thursday. We’ll also have more of our streams live on Thursday to provide as much content as possible.
While many team tournaments will take place at the same time, we are limiting players to enter only 2 of them at most, to ensure there aren’t scheduling conflicts that will delay tournament progress.
Expanded Artist Alley: We always get far more talented artist applications than we have space for and it is increasingly difficult to choose who to attend. In order to bring in more artists, we have added a few more artist booths in the side hallway connected to the main Artist Alley (between Junior and Haray Caray). These booths will still be easily visible are positioned in a way that will not obstruct foot traffic for attendees. The previous dining tables that were located here will now be inside Haray Caray by Karaoke.
