Category: Interviews

Continuing our Red Bull Proving Grounds organizer introductions, we met up with Pavel, the organizer for the Montréal region. After talking with Vancouver on the West Coast, it was interesting to get some insight into the East Coast Canadian area, and how they feel about the upcoming event.

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Pavel Szczypior: I have been organizing events for the local community for the past 3 years. When I came in the scene it was at the ending era of USFIV, where the scene slowed down, so I started doing these events on a regular basis to keep the hype alive.

John “Zidiane” Silvia: What events are those?

Pavel: It is a series called “Underground Hype,” a monthly event that we kept the name of for the Red Bull Proving Grounds series.

Zidiane: How long have those events been running? Just before Street Fighter V?

Pavel: The first one was in November 2014, so a little over a year before SFV came out. It didn’t attract much people, but we still kept on running them, and eventually had more and more attention. We eventually had surrounding cities gathering for the monthly events; we’ve seen on a regular basis Ottawa show up for the challenge, Quebec City and Toronto.

Zidiane: Nice. How did you get started doing that? Was there already structure, or did you just decide to start up?

Pavel: To advertise, we mainly used the Facebook group page “MTLSF” that Pierre had built up over the years, which made it a lot easier to spread the word. After a couple of events, I acquired some material, monitors, cables, banners, and Pierre hooked me up with his streaming equipment. Since then we worked on bigger events like MAT, LanETS, and DreamHack together.

Zidiane: Where is Underground Hype held, exactly?

Pavel: Underground Hype was always held at the same location. I searched a lot before to find a nice cheap venue, one that had everything we needed. It usually is used for war veteran meetings, but after talking to the owner he let us have a chance to host there.

The place was really nice, you could bring your food and all. As a big plus, you could go along the hall and there was a bar where the owner could serve us alcohol. A lot of the players in Montreal like to have a good drink. For the Red Bull event though, we had to search for another venue, something bigger and nicer that would represent Red Bull more adequately.

Zidiane: Ah, I see. Where’s the new place you transitioned to?

Pavel: It is called “Centre St-Pierre,” located at the edge of Montréal’s downtown, much bigger, and offers us 2 projectors to play on.

Zidiane: So, you mentioned people coming from nearby cities to play. Just how far away have people traveled to participate?

Pavel: Well, other than the surrounding cities less than an hour drive away, we had Québec City which is a 3-hour drive, Ottawa which is 2 hours away, and Toronto which is about 6 hours away. Toronto is a big drive, but there has always been a big friendly rivalry between the 2 cities. Before Underground Hype during the Street Fighter IV era, there were also people coming from NY and Boston, where even Spooky came up to stream one of the events.

Zidiane: How many players would you say you normally get, and what kind of games do they mainly play?

Pavel: For the Underground Hype events, it was mostly all about Street Fighter, but we do once in a while have side tournaments for 3rd Strike, UMvC3 and Guilty Gear. As for size, an average event would hit about 60 attendees. Some people just come down to spectate and grab a beer and chill, but we did hit around 100 attendees a few times.

People were always welcome to bring their own console too, for other fighting games that we did not have.

Zidiane: Sounds like it regularly brought in quite the crowd. Was that the reason Red Bull noticed you guys? How did the whole Proving Grounds deal come about?

Pavel: We were referred to the Red Bull Proving Grounds from a local Toronto organizer, Justin Baisden. He was always in the scene, he came to our last MAT event held in September, which was really a great event that I think Justin enjoyed. When the Proving Grounds project came around, he was the one that referred us to Ken, representative at Red Bull.

Zidiane: He’s the TO for the Red Bull qualifiers going down in Toronto, correct?

Pavel: Yes, correct.

Zidiane: You mentioned having players come in from Toronto to support your scene as well. You guys must have a very good relationship as scenes. How does it feel knowing both of you guys are getting the chance to compete?

Pavel: It is great! Even though there is a rivalry between the 2 cities, after the events all the rivalry is put behind and everyone just comes together for a meal or a drink. It is really one big family between the 2 cities.

We really appreciate Justin putting in the word for us for the Red Bull series, Montréal always had a great competitive scene with strong players, and now those players get a chance to shine on a higher level right from their hometown which is really great. Montréal is getting a chance to be recognized as an FGC scene.

Zidiane: I heard some similar things from the other Canadian team over in Vancouver. They mentioned a rivalry among Canadian regions, in addition to this East vs. West drama. Do you play against those guys often?

Pavel: I’m not sure if the local players get a chance to battle it out against the Vancouver scene online, because locally the two cities are each on the opposite side of the continent. There are times where they get to face each other in tournaments like Canada Cup Gaming, and I recall also last year  an event held in Toronto called EGLX, but honestly I am not really familiar with the Vancouver scene…

Zidiane: Well, they expressed that Canada tends to consider itself apart from the whole East Coast vs. West Coast mentality that sparked this whole event. Do you guys feel the same way, or do you feel some kind of loyalty to the Eastern Legion?

Pavel: Well to put a bit of fuel here, I think that the East owns the West in Canada as far as the competitive scene goes in the fighting games. But yeah there might be a bit of rivalry when it comes to it, but once outside Canada, when the players go to big events in the US or elsewhere, there are there to represent their country–Canada–so it is one goal no matter where you come from in Canada. But the rivalry inside the country between East and West is really not as strong as it may be in the US…

Zidiane: Alright. So, moving away from other regions for a bit, only 3 of your players are going to be making it as Team Montreal. If you were forced to choose, which 3 players do you say are making it to represent you guys?

Pavel: First off, I think Chi-Rithy will definitely be placed in top 3 as strong player overall, competitive since the 3rd strike era, and winner of last year’s Canadian Cineplex championships.

Second choice would be Snafoo, a famous Dhalsim player who stuck with his character since the beginning of SFIV, really defensive type of player, a wall in other words.

My third pick for this one would be FluxWaveZ, a brand new player in the scene that came along with SFV that no one has ever heard before, but managed to put the strong local players on their toes with his R. Mika, a young generation of a player that shows a lot of promise in the scene and upcoming events.

I might be wrong in the predictions but those would be my picks, there are a lot of local players to look out for, Rami, freddyl0c0, LordJimmyBones, DraeYomiGames, Coton, TJ… This competition will bring out the best of these players, they will be faced against a lot of hungry players looking to prove themselves and to get a chance to represent their city for the team battle at the end, so even though they are close friends locally, it will really be interesting to see them face other.

Zidiane: Interesting, we’re seeing a lot of new young players coming out of the woodwork for these events. What do you think of the competition? Any opinions on the other regions of Team East Coast?

Pavel: The US has a strong competitive scene with a lot of exposure, Montréal on the other hand has that competitive scene but with no exposure. I think this may work in our favor, as they won’t expect Montréal to be so strong. The local players here keep on training, attending regular weekly events and sharing their techs with the community, and they know a lot of the players that they will be facing. I have strong faith in our local players and I cannot wait for them to explode and surprise everyone on that team battle event.

Zidiane: You’re going with the unknown underdog angle. Should your lack of exposure turn out to be a blessing in disguise and you win the round robin, you’ll be up against one West Coast team. It might be Vancouver, or it might be a more traditional West Coast team. Any thoughts on who you’d want to fight, or if you’d like to avoid or be matched up against specific regions?

Pavel: For sure the west coast will be packed with big names, but some of the local players, Chi-Rithy, Snafoo, Rami, have already faced big names before and managed to come on top. If a kid like FluxWaveZ comes out for our top 3 he may be fazed by the big names, but his teammates will be there to relax him. These old-school players have traveled a lot and are not easily intimidated, they have seen a lot in their career so I’m positive in their skill and mindset whoever will come across. Those players are looking forward for that challenge, the bigger the name the bigger the thrill. If at the end it turned out that we’d be facing Vancouver in the final round, let’s just say we have no doubt that we’re the best in Canada.

Zidiane: Okay. That’s about all the questions I had. Was there anything else you wanted to let people know before you go?

Pavel: For sure the players will be out there for the challenge, to represent their city and make a name for themselves, so it will definitely be a show not to miss.

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If you enjoyed hearing about this TO, be sure to check out the other interviews we have with other regional organizers: Chicago, Texas, NorCal, & Vancouver. You can also read more about some of Montréal’s Street Fighter V players mentioned above in our two-part interview with the MTLSF scene from last year.

[Feature image courtesy of Ray Arzaga]

In a matter of a couple years, BrokenTier’s Samantha “IFC Persia” Hancock has become one of the premier commentators of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. With herself and her boyfriend, Michael “IFC Yipes” Mendoza, traveling across the nation for the Curleh Mustache exhibitions in the final year of UMvC3 before the release of Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, she has become one of the biggest names helping to keep Marvel in the limelight over this last year on the circuit.

While at Naptown Clutch, I was able to sit and chat with her about her role in the Marvel community, as well as her take on the impending release of MvCI.

Corey “Missing Person” Lanier: Persia, how did you feel the Naptown Clutch Marvel tournament—as well as the invitational Curleh Mustache Midwest event—turned out?

Samantha “IFC Persia” Hancock: I loved the way that they represented their region here. Every time I see them play, they come back better than ever. They still have pride amongst themselves when they play against each other. As long as they continually support each other and continue to show up to these events, that’s all that you can really ask for.

Missing Person: As the First Lady of Marvel, do you feel like the series has an opportunity to draw in more women toward a predominantly man’s series?

IFC Persia: I feel like it’s possible, especially when you factor in the coming release of Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. Since the announcement, I’ve seen other women from other communities starting to show an interest in Marvel. I think the donation drive also helped that. I’ve taken it upon myself to lend a hand and show them stuff within the game. The more people we have on board in Marvel, the better, and if that includes more women, then I’m completely on board with that.

Missing Person: What drove you to get started in Marvel?

IFC Persia: I started in Super Street Fighter IV. I noticed the main difference between Street Fighter and Marvel was the pace, as well as the freedom and creativity that Marvel had to offer. You could choose all these different types of characters and team archetypes which made it infinitely more interesting to me. I loved having more freedom compared to Street Fighter, which was more rigid.

Missing Person: Fighting games in general have always been kind of a man’s world, but doubly so with Marvel, where you see far fewer females involved. Did you find any difficulties getting involved with the Marvel scene?

IFC Persia: I never really paid attention to any of that. The reason I started playing was because I had grown to love fighting games. I liked the 1-on-1 competitive aspect coming from playing first-person shooters, where you rely on a team. You don’t have to worry about that in fighting games. It’s a different style of competition. Being a female never really crosses my mind when I’m playing.

Missing Person: What are your thoughts so far on Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite?

IFC Persia: I personally cannot wait for it to come out. I feel like it’s going to be a takeover, where everyone is going to be playing it. Everyone is going to be excited to see where we—the Marvel community—has come from through all the worry of how healthy the game will be in a few years. Everyone’s excited, and everyone’s going to be showing up. I feel like it will be a revival of the Marvel scene, and everyone is going to want to be involved with it.

Missing Person: Do you feel that Marvel: Infinite could propel the series to the same status Street Fighter V has enjoyed in the esports market?

IFC Persia: I definite do. I absolutely believe that Marvel could become bigger than Street Fighter. The Marvel brand is very strong, and have a loyal fanbase on their own, even branching off from their comics and solely being involved in the cinematic universe. With all the hype surrounding Marvel 3 since the re-release and the donation drive, factored in with the fact that they are making Infinite 2-on-2, it will be more appealing and less daunting to the new players. Before, you had to pick up three characters and become strong with them. Knocking it down to two characters, while still making it fresh, in the age of esports leads me to believe it’s going to be huge.

Missing Person: What is your personal wishlist for Infinite?

IFC Persia: I would like to see Black Panther, and of course, Rocket Raccoon. I also really want to see Groot. I would be curious to see if they make Groot like Phoenix, where he starts off as normal Groot, but could turn into baby Groot. That would be something creative and fun. I’m really interested to see how creative they get with the game.

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In her time away from the commentator’s table, you can still find Persia hosting the Marvel Lives podcast. We can’t wait to see if some of her interesting character choices for MvCI come true.

[Feature image by Corey Lanier]

Most people in the FGC are aware of Japan’s CO|Goichi “Go1” Kishida. Making top 8 at both Evo and Capcom Cup last year with his aggressive Chun-Li play has done a lot to cement his name. Far fewer players know of his background as a “King of Poverty”—playing many of the anime titles that take the side stage at most events.

While at Frosty Faustings IX, I talked to Go1–with the help of PG|Kyohei “MarlinPie” Lehr in translation–about his play in various anime games, as well as his expectations going into this season of the Capcom Pro Tour.

Corey “Missing Person” Lanier: You had a very successful event at Frosty Faustings, with victory in multiple titles across the anime subgenre. How do you keep sharp in all of these titles?

Goichi “Go1” Kishida: I don’t really want to admit it here, but I don’t really play these games anymore. I used to, but I mainly enter them just because they exist at these events. Lately, I’ve been focusing on Street Fighter V. For the anime titles, I’m relying on my experience back when I did play these games actively, as well as maintaining solid fundamentals.

Missing Person: What do you feel that America lacks in the airdash-style fighting games that allows you to come to these events and dominate?

Go1: America lacks an ability to abuse the system mechanics to their favor. In Guilty Gear for example, there are ways to avoid lows, mids, and throws by doing what is called fuzzy guard in Japan—which means something completely different in English. It is actually similar to the English term of option selects. Japanese players know how to do this correctly, and they practice using their defensive options as such. So the key difference between the two regions is their usage of defensive techniques.

Missing Person: Talking about Guilty Gear, you and Dogura both had struggles against the American players at the event. Do you feel that America is starting to catch up in the title?

Go1: I’m not as qualified to answer this question, but the average level between the two regions are fairly close. The average American player in Guilty Gear is shockingly high.

Missing Person: You had a really strong showing at Capcom Cup 2016, especially for it to be your first time there. How did it feel for you to be on the big stage in top 8?

Go1: One thing was for sure: I greatly desired to be on the main stage at Capcom Cup. Between my own personal desire and going there with a sponsor, I wanted to make top 8 to make them proud and to represent my team.

Missing Person: With your sponsorship, did the feelings change between making top 8 at Evo and making the top 8 at Capcom Cup?

Go1: I wasn’t really nervous at Capcom Cup. At Evo, it was my first time in a large tournament like that. On top of that, it was also my first time being that close to making such a big stage. There were definitely a lot more nerves at Evo.

Missing Person: With Street Fighter V’s season 2 changes, Chun-Li received a lot of nerfs. How do you feel about her viability this season?

Go1: I’ve always felt that with Chun-Li’s design in Street Fighter V, she is far too difficult to ever fully utilize every weapon in her arsenal. I have to do a lot of homework with her, and continue to improve myself to make her viable.

Missing Person: With your sponsorship by Cyclops Osaka, do you see yourself coming events overseas more than you did last season?

Go1: I’m trying to go to every Capcom Pro Tour event that happens this year, regardless of the location. Dogura has also been training up in Street Fighter V, so he will also be joining me. But moreover, I want to also attend all the events that have the games that I excel at, like UNIEL and Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax. With my sponsorship, I actually have a chance to do just that this year.

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He has went on to do just that. Having won first in Under Night In Birth Exe:Late, Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax, and Melty Blood Actress Again—not to mention fourth in Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- and ninth in Street Fighter V at Frosty–he has since made his way to Final Round 20, the first Capcom Pro Tour Premier event of the season. There, he finished a solid thirteenth while unveiling his Guile. Given that he will be attending far more events—with a particular emphasis on Premier events such as CEO and Evo—we can only expect bigger things from him this year.

[Feature image courtesy of Frosty Faustings]

After becoming the Evo Champion in 2013 with Gen–a generally-underused character at the time–there weren’t many in the community who didn’t know RZR|Xian’s name. Though he hasn’t made such a high-profile splash since then–not until Final Round 20, at least–he’s been a consistent force through the remainder of Street Fighter IV’s era, and has continued to try to make things happen in Street Fighter V.

Xian takes the time to talk with FGCnow, and is interviewed about his choice of characters, how and why he’s stuck with F.A.N.G, his newly-successful Ibuki showcased at Final Round, and his opinions on the game as a whole. He also comments on his participation in the upcoming ELEAGUE Invitational event, the competition there, and also his opinion on Japan’s presence in SFV. It’s a great interview, so be sure to check it out here!

Source: FGCnow