In the summer of 2007, Mike “ElvenShadow” Boczar moved from Chicago to Japan. When he returned for the 2007–2008 winter holidays, he was disappointed by the lack of local tournaments. So, for the 2008–2009 holiday season, he created his own event—Frosty Faustings.
What began as a grassroots gathering announced on the SRK forums quickly became something special. A small ballroom at the Wingate Inn Northbrook was packed wall-to-wall with CRTs and consoles brought by the community. Tournaments were held, hype was high, and Guilty Gear—ElvenShadow’s game of choice—was established as the main event.
Each year, the event grew. Frosty Faustings II expanded in the same venue, III–V moved to the legendary arcade Nickel City, and VI was hosted at Game Pazzo. With VII and VIII, the event reached nearly 700 attendees at the Crowne Plaza in Northbrook. It was clear Frostys was ready for the next level.
In 2017, the event moved to the Clarion Inn & Waterford Conference Center in Elmhurst, IL, drawing over 1,000 attendees. That number climbed to 1,400 in 2018 and 1,700 in 2019.
Frosty Faustings XII 2020 moved to the Westin Chicago North Shore in Wheeling, IL, bringing in over 1,400 competitors and 800 spectators. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, FFXIII 2021 pivoted to an open-bracket online tournament and event, drawing 1,432 competitors across 12 games.
In 2022, Frostys returned offline for FFXIV at our new home, The Westin in Lombard, IL, implementing vaccine and on-site COVID-19 testing requirements. Even with these precautions, it became the largest Frostys yet with over 2,500 attendees. In 2023, restrictions were lifted as we celebrated our 15th year, joined the Arc World Tour, and hosted our largest Guilty Gear bracket ever. For the first time, Frosty Faustings sold out, hitting 3,500 attendees and packing the Westin.
2024 saw even more growth: an additional ballroom, more staff, a higher attendance cap, side tournaments hosted by Vortex Gallery, and a full 4-day schedule packed with new events on Thursday and Sunday.
Frosty Faustings returned January 23–26, 2025, with 25 main tournaments and a full 4-day slate of community events solidifying Frostys as the must-do FGC event of the winter.
Now entering our 18th year, Frosty Faustings XVIII takes place January 29 – February 1, 2026, at the Westin Lombard. As a Platinum Arc World Tour stop for GGST, GBVSR, and UNI2, and with over 400 setups, a full arcade, and karaoke hosted by TNS, it’s shaping up to be our biggest year yet.
We’re grateful to our incredible staff and the entire FGC for making Frostys what it is. Join us in 2026 for the world’s ONLY FGC-focused 4-day event!
VIEW PHOTOS FROM ALL THE PREVIOUS 17 YEARS OF FROSTY FAUSTINGS
