Only 9 players in the history of Evolution have won 3 or more total championships. The most recent addition to that list is also the current Street Fighter V Evo 2017 champion, Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi. Just Frame‘s latest video is a tribute to the journey Tokido took from 2002’s Capcom vs. SNK 2 win to 2017’s SFV hat-trick.
Opening the compilation, James Chen says Tokido has “had more Evo top 8s, probably, then any other player in the history of Evo.” James is almost right: Tokido has, in fact, had 19 top 8 finishes across various games, from Street Fighter to Virtua Fighter. Only Justin Wong trumps him at a staggering 26 top 8 finishes — but Wong’s are not quite as diverse a spread of games. All of this is to say: Tokido’s stats are in very good company, and his is a mind that transcends individual franchises.
Only 9 players in the history of Evolution have won 3 or more total championships. The most recent addition to that list is also the current Street Fighter V Evo 2017 champion, Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi. Just Frame‘s latest video is a tribute to the journey Tokido took from 2002’s Capcom vs. SNK 2 win to 2017’s SFV hat-trick.
Opening the compilation, James Chen says Tokido has “had more Evo top 8s, probably, then any other player in the history of Evo.” James is almost right: Tokido has, in fact, had 19 top 8 finishes across various games, from Street Fighter to Virtua Fighter. Only Justin Wong trumps him at a staggering 26 top 8 finishes — but Wong’s are not quite as diverse a spread of games. All of this is to say: Tokido’s stats are in very good company, and his is a mind that transcends individual franchises.
We’ve entered a time where we, the collective FGC, scrutinize Capcom’s back-catalog to find games we wish would get represented in the latest crossover fighter (in this instance, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite). Ignoring leaks that’ll probably deflate my dreams of seeing Roberto in a Versus game, now seems like a good time to remember that Capcom’s Project Justice: Rival Schools 2 is a great fighter with strong tournament play to this day at Mikado Arcade.
An old-school, formula-challenging arcade gem being played really well at Mikado is probably not the most unusual thing we’ve ever reported on here at SRK. After all, the diverse skillset of Mikado patrons is what they are best known for. But the Rival Schools series is close to a lot of people’s hearts, so any opportunity to call attention to one of the FGC’s best arcades playing one of Capcom’s most beloved fighters is an opportunity that should probably be taken.
After showing off some of the August balance changes in a recent Watchtower stream, NetherRealm has released the full patch notes for Injustice 2. Along with general improvements, move list corrections and various bug fixes, the majority of this patch saw NetherRealm breaking out the nerfing stick and cutting some of the top tiers down to size.
You should hopefully see less Trident Rush spam, as Aquaman’s infamous special move has seen its damage lowered, along with his Tentacle Strike meterburn causing a hard knock-down instead of a pop up. Atrocitus’ feline friend Dex-Starr now drains more trait meter whenever he uses a move, meaning less oppressive offensive when this cat comes to play. Speaking of cats, Catwoman’s Whip Strike has had its hit angle adjusted, with her meterburn Cat Dash now losing its armor. Batman now takes longer to recover following a meterburn Batarang and Black Adam’s overall damage output has been reduced. He’ll no longer do 600+ damage if he lands his full trait to Riddle of the Sphinx combo, thank Amon-Ra.
There are loads more changes so check over on the official Injustice 2 website, to see who has been spared the nerf bat and has been blessed with buffs. As part of this patch, two new shaders have been added to character customization. The Electrum shader colors your fighters silver, while the Tournament shader dresses your character in glistening gold. The sale of each Tournament shader will help support future Injustice 2 tournaments and community events, so consider buying it if you want to support the Injustice 2 competitive scene.
Help support the E-sports/Tournament scene by getting these Injustice 2 Tournament Shaders !!pic.twitter.com/y9kgFeKugS
Ed Boon has also posted a curious image over on his Twitter, showing a downed Cyrax from the movie Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. This has — quite naturally — sent fans into a frenzy at Cyrax being added as a possible fighter in Fighter Pack 2. Knowing Ed Boon’s penchant for trolling, I see this more as a red herring, rather than a confirmation that another Lin Kuei ninja is joining the Injustice 2 roster.
A number of years ago, Cliff Rouzier’s desire to rise up and compete at Evo inspired a journey that would become the indie documentary Road to Evolution, released in February of this year. It is available to watch for free on YouTube right now; here’s the most recent trailer:
Cliffdog now streams on Twitch, and continues to compete in both Street Fighter and Super Smash Bros. titles. To see where his fighting spirit has taken him since the events of Road to Evolution, we caught up with him on the floor of Evo 2017. The resulting discussion can be read below; replies have been edited for clarity.
Zavian “mushin_Z” Sildra: For the readers that don’t know you yet, please introduce yourself!
Cliff “Cliffdog” Rouzier: My name is Cliff, my tag is Cliffdog. I’ve been a huge fighting game enthusiast since I was about two years old, loved fighting games all my life; they’ve brought me closest to some of the best friends that I’ve ever had, or ever met. It’s just something that I’m super passionate about. I love the community and what they aspire to be. Fighting games as a whole: I love what they bring, I love the tenacity — I just love the drive, and I love the competition that fighting games provide for everybody, which is why I’m so drawn to them today.
mushin_Z: So, how many times have you been to Evo now?
Cliffdog: This will now be my fourth one. Started in 2012, attended the one in 2013, took about two years off, went back in 2016, and now I’m here for 2017.
mushin_Z: You were the subject of your cousin Jonathan’s documentary, Road to Evolution, about your drive to come and compete at Evo; tell us about what it was like to be in that film.
Cliffdog: Sure! So, in 2011, I saw an amazing match with Luffy, and I was so inspired by that. I felt that, with my age at that time, I was running out of time to enjoy such an event — something you put such blood, sweat, and tears into — that I thought it would be really cool if my cousin (who at the time was just getting out of film school) and I could collaborate together, and make a documentary on what I’m gonna do: someone that’s a “nobody,” that nobody really knows, what steps am I gonna take, what sacrifices am I gonna make, to try to make it out to Evo.
That being the drive, that setting the stage, we started doing it — and it didn’t work out that well [at first], because when we tried for Evo 2012, I was the only one that made it, so we couldn’t record anything! So the viewer didn’t get to see what happened.
mushin_Z: There was a little bit of a hole there…
Cliffdog: So, I was like, “f’ this,” let’s go for one last ride, one more time, let’s do it — but this time, I’ll make sure everything is in place, so that way there’s no excuses, no hiccups, and I’ll make sure everyone can make it. And you know, we did it, we made it happen — though we had a lot of problems with the TSA [related to the transport of camera equipment] — and it was a beautiful experience.
I guess to compare those two important years, from 2012 to 2014, I went from being by myself, not knowing anybody (I literally just went to the [first] event and came back home) to somebody that now, a year later, is fully integrated into the fighting game community, among many friends. And I think that really opened my eyes to even if you don’t know anybody, if you put in the time and effort and dedicate yourself to something you enjoy — as much as everybody else does — you’re gonna get a lot out of it.
mushin_Z: Nice. That film was essentially your first steps setting out on this path — to get into Evo, to compete at a higher level. Where has it led?
Cliffdog: I don’t even know where to start! [laughs] There’s just been so many opportunities, and I don’t know how to say thank you for each and every one. I’m so blessed that this year my flight was paid in full, and my Twitch followers even donated enough money to get my girlfriend to come with me. So I didn’t have to pay for a flight here… how does that happen?
I don’t know — maybe other streamers feel like it’s a common thing, but to me as a person — if you’re watching me, I’m just playing video games. I guess I’m entertaining you [as a viewer] enough that you want me to come to Evo, just to compete, because you believe in what I believe in. Even if you’ve seen my documentary or not, you must share the same passion as I do, and want me to have fun and succeed… That in itself, I think, speaks for itself: as long as you just do what you do, and you’re humble and you give to the community, they’re gonna give it back to you.
I’ve met a lot of amazing players, I’ve beaten a lot of amazing professional players in my time, which I never thought I could — I only dreamed about it. I got to work with LI Joe in his own event, East Coast Throwdown; I always saw him as an awesome person and a very humble guy… for him to just open his arms and say “Dude, I want you to help me out with this, no questions asked, I like you, and you’re an awesome dude”… wow. I guess there’s a “facade,” that all pro players are like this or that, and you can’t talk to them, and they’re on this higher pedestal. But at the end of the day, everyone’s a person, just like the person sitting next to you, they’re human beings and they want to converse just like anybody else. And if you take the time to just have a conversation with them, you’d be surprised what you get out of it in the end.
Again, I can’t say “thank you” enough for what’s been opened for me, and the opportunities given me, but my goal is always just to continue to give back to something that’s given me so much. It’s enabled me to fly around to different states, and different countries that I never thought I would go to. I’ve met amazing people that I’ve befriended, we’ve been able to travel together, and just enjoy unique experiences. That on its own, I’d say, is very special.
mushin_Z: So, when you first started out with the thought “I’m gonna go to Evo,” you didn’t think this was going to be the result?
Cliffdog: No, no way did I project that I’d be coming back to Evo again in 2017. But “the people” said otherwise, and here I am today. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t think my drive would be so strong — I think in my heart, I always want to play; I always have the passion and always want to compete. But at a tournament level like this, it takes a lot of time, practice, and training to not go 0-2 in your bracket, and that’s where I think they play the biggest part — because they’re cheering me on. Even when I’m down, I lost and I don’t know what happened, I don’t know what to do, and I want to quit the game — even though, I never really want to — even with those thoughts in my mind, [my supporters] are the first to remind me why I should never stop.
I’ll give you the perfect example: I was on my way to the Red Bull party last night, and I already had it in my mind that after Evo I was just gonna take a break, just relax from fighting games and focus on other things. And there was somebody I saw that I haven’t seen, in, let’s just say over a year. He was so shocked to see me, and he was like, “Dude, I saw your documentary! Never stop playing fighting games. You have to keep playing!” And the way he said it, the way he looked at me, I was like “Dang, I can’t stop right now.” I can’t! People still want me to play. Clearly, this road is far from over. Even if I were to think about stopping, they would stop me from stopping! I can’t be thankful enough for that — there’s still people that want to help me get better than I am now.
mushin_Z: That’s awesome. So, let’s talk about the pro players — right now you’re playing Street Fighter V and Super Smash Bros. for WiiU…
Cliffdog: That’s right.
mushin_Z: Who are the players getting into the top eights that you look up to? That make you think, “I need to get to that level, I want to take them on.”
Cliffdog: Oh boy. You know what’s funny? The guys that are in the top eights, they’re not really my “targets” in terms of me wanting to beat them; I just wanna learn from them, so I can do what they do and enjoy the game as much as they do.
I don’t think I could name any names. I feel like they’re all great, in their own respective games. It’s nice to see the roundabout of different characters that can win, and it’s also amazing that all these great players are getting sponsored, too. I give ’em all kudos. But I don’t think there’s anybody that’s my “favorite” player, in that I look up to them, and I want to beat them. I appreciate them for who they are, and what they give back to me.
I guess when I was younger, I looked up to them more, and was like, “Man, I wanna be like that guy, I wanna do what he does!” But with access to YouTube, and forums, and everybody’s in Discord chatting and learning — everybody can be like that person now. Anybody can do what any of those guys are doing, so long as you put in the hard work and dedication. I think that’s something that slips people’s minds, and they beat themselves up too much — but just take the loss, get back up, and keep going. It doesn’t matter how hard you lost, how hard you got knocked down — if you can rise up from that, and can continue to keep fighting, you never lose. That’s how I see it.
This weekend over at the Bracket Reset tournament in London, Capcom UK had a treat for UK fans as they brought over the latest (SDCC) build of Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. Not only did the players get a chance to play the game, but a small tournament was also held for it.
For those who missed the event, TeaMandem now has footage from Bracket Reset’s MvC:I pre-release tournament on their YouTube channel. The footage features some notable players from the UK and Europe trying out the game, these include Packz, BK4REVENGE, FrostyBolty, UM Tyrant, EspadaJerome, and more.
While the quality of the matches varies, since most of the players haven’t really had much time with the game, we do see some interesting things — not the least of which is UM Tyrant pulling off a mid-screen lightning loop with Zero.
Four more tournaments get a boost to their Pokkén prize pools, courtesy of Evo.
Because of the huge contribution to Make-a-Wish International from fans of Pokkén Tournament during the Evo 2017 Player’s Choice donation drive, it was declared that while Pokkén would not see the main stage at Evo 2017 (that spot went to Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3), Evo would provide $10,000 in pot bonuses to other Pokkén events this year. The first recipient was NorCal Regionals. Now, the last four events that will receive a $1000 boost to their Pokkén Tournament pot have been named, and are as follows:
When Chia-Hung “E.T.” Lin won Evo 2017, he did it from a dominant winners bracket performance, a variety of teams, and (at the last minute) with an incredibly unusual character pick of Goro Daimon. Abuget Cup, one of Indonesia’s largest fighting game tournaments, just concluded. E.T. was in attendance, ready to defend his title as champion at his first major since Evo.
Fans of KOF, Goro, and seeing whether a champion can maintain consistency with his pocket character should all find something worth watching in this top 4.
The Beast speaks on competing at Evo and the state of Street Fighter V.
With sponsorship deals with Red Bull, Twitch, Hyper X, and Cygames, a book about his history and fight game philosophy (The Will to Keep Winning), and a recently-translated manga that tells the stories of his rise to prominence in the Japanese arcade scene (Daigo the Beast: Umehara Fighting Gamers!), Daigo Umehara is very embodiment of the professional fighting gamer. His fame precedes him, even while his competitive success had somewhat waned in Street Fighter V Season 2 (though the Abuget Cup 2017 results now suggest otherwise, see below).
I managed to get some time at Evo 2017 to ask some questions of The Beast — with the assistance of a translator — shortly before Street Fighter V‘s top 8 battled at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Replies have been edited for clarity.
Daigo Umehara at Evo 2017 (Photo courtesy of Chris Bahn)
Zavian “mushin_Z” Sildra: OK, so this is Street Fighter V‘s second year at Evo; how would you say the competition has changed this year, as compared to the previous year?
Daigo “The Beast” Umehara: Hm. Well, I think it’s clear that the latest changes are character changes, and those characters that have been upgraded — made stronger — are the ones that are doing well in competitions.
mushin_Z: What has been your main focus in training to compete at Evo this year?
Daigo: I knew that there would be more Americans — out of all the nationalities, Americans would be the highest number among the competitors at Evo, so I chose characters that are commonly played by Americans, and focused on the match-up against them.
mushin_Z: You’ve seen more success playing Guile this year, after your switch from playing Ryu; do you feel Guile suits your own approach, your own style, in this game?
Daigo: To be honest, yes: I would like to see Ryu improved. And that’s not the case… But, I do like the playstyle I can showcase with Guile, so I’ve been enjoying playing Guile quite a bit.
mushin_Z: Excellent. So, you were knocked into losers bracket by Haitani. What are your thoughts on that particular match?
Daigo: [pauses to consider] I don’t know if I could have played differently. I don’t recall making any notable mistakes against Haitani in that match… but if I really think hard, maybe Haitani was aware of my tendencies and playstyle, so he knew how I was going to play.
mushin_Z: Now, Justin Wong took you out of the tournament entirely; same question: thoughts on that match?
Daigo: In Street Fighter V, we haven’t really played against each other, so most of the time I felt we were trying to “feel each other out”… And as a result, we had a great match, an exciting match — but this time, I didn’t succeed. Justin was ahead of my game. [Umehara ultimately made it to 17th in the final Evo 2017 SFV standings.]
Hx.CYG BST|Daigo Umehara vs. Echo Fox|Justin Wong in the top 32 of SFV at Evo 2017.
mushin_Z: Compared to last year, MOV is the only player in last year’s SFV top eight that is also in this year’s top eight. What does that say to you about the current state of competition in Street Fighter V?
Daigo: The climate of competition gets largely affected by character balance, rather than the playstyle or characteristics of the players. The faces of the top players we see in competition changes all the time, and it’s exciting to see new faces at the top, but I would like to see something different.
mushin_Z: Would you say that the changes between Season 1 and Season 2 were too drastic, and brought this about?
Daigo: Yes.
mushin_Z: So, what is number one on your Street Fighter V “wish list”? If you could change one thing about the game to suit your personal style, what would it be?
Daigo: Hm… It’s very difficult to pick one! The overall impression I get from this game: every competition, every match, tends to finish in the same style — no matter who is playing; whether they’re a veteran or a newcomer, skilled player or not, there’s no variation. And that’s, you know, not exciting. As a player it’s not fun, and I’m not sure if it’s not fun for viewers either; so, what I would like to see — if I could request anything — then I would like to see something to allow a wider range of strategy, more choices which players are allowed to make, so each player’s characteristics could shine in the game.
Daigo Umehara finishes a match against Montréal’s FluxWaveZ. (Photo courtesy of Chris Bahn)
mushin_Z: What’s your next stop on the Capcom Pro Tour?
Daigo: Earliest option I heard of — in two weeks I might go to Indonesia [Abuget Cup] at the end of July, or I’ll go to the Germany in the beginning of August [Fight Club NRW]. [Umehara indeed competed at Abuget Cup, and took his first #1 spot at a Capcom Pro Tour event this year!]
mushin_Z: Do you feel you have a strong chance to make it to #1 at Capcom Cup this year?
Daigo: Well, before I can speak about Capcom Cup, I need to qualify! I have a long way to get there. But my skill set is improving, and my game is getting better… I feel more confident than before. So, I’m looking forward to it — I would like to see myself up there, too.
mushin_Z: Any words about the English debut of the Daigo the Beast: Umehara Fighting Gamers! manga?
Daigo: This manga covers my story, my arcade days, in my teens… day in, day out, I went to arcades. So, I’m curious to see how much of that — the atmosphere, the experiences we had at arcades, will be conveyed to the American audience, understanding that arcades were not as common as they were to Japanese players back then. I would like to see the passion we shared among ourselves back then conveyed to the new audience; that’s my wish.
mushin_Z: Very cool. In your own words, what does competing at Evo mean to you?
Daigo: Of course, Evo has evolved into the biggest fighting game tournament in the world, and has a long history of supporting players — and all that considered, I think most folks come here to compete because it’s big, and has that history. They think “I need to win at Evo,” even more than the CPT in general, I’ve seen so many like that around me.
But for me, Evo is different, and much more significant. It gave me a chance to be a pro gamer. Through my experiences fighting and competing at Evo, I was able to express myself to the audience outside of Japan, and people got to know me. So, Evo has a special place in my heart. Even if Evo hadn’t grown to this size and significance to fighting games, I would still come to Evo, no matter what. That’s how much Evo means to me.
mushin_Z: That’s awesome. Is there anything else you’d like to express to SRK readers about Street Fighter V or Evo?
Daigo: My loss yesterday makes me really feel the desire to make it into the top eight at Evo next year! For sure — I want to make it.
Edmonton’s longest-running fighting game tournament is back for another year.
Street Fighters in Western Canada will want to note the return of Alberta Beat Down, set to take place in Edmonton, AB on August 25-27, 2017. Canada Cup Gaming’s Lap Chi Duong is expected to be in attendance, as well as many other notable players from the Canadian FGC. The games featured this year are:
mushin_Z: You’ve seen more success playing Guile this year, after your switch from playing Ryu; do you feel Guile suits your own approach, your own style, in this game?
mushin_Z: Any words about the English debut of the Daigo the Beast: Umehara Fighting Gamers! manga?