esports
Skilled in multiple games, Dominique 'SonicFox' McLean is still grinding to become the best fighting game competitor in the world. We spoke to him about how he measures his own success.
It was almost like an episode of Dragon Ball itself: Vegeta was fighting tooth and nail against multiple enemies, while barely hanging on, waiting for some dramatic cliffhanger where Goku comes sweeping in at the last second. This wasn't an episode of the anime, though. This was the Red Bull Final Summoning, the last stop of the year long Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour.
After knocking Shoji 'Fenritti' Sho down to his last fighter, nothing could stop Ryota 'Kazunoko' Inoue's path to the Dragon Ball FighterZ crown. Everyone in the The Majestic Downtown in Los Angeles, USA could feel the electricity, especially Dominique ‘SonicFox’ McLean. The American, who took out Goichi 'GO1' Kishida in the DBFZ Grand Finals at Evo last year, was watching from the sidelines despite many appearances on stage during the tour.
"If I had won, I think I would have solidified my spot on the top, since I'd be protecting my throne," McLean tells us. "I don't think I, or Kazunoko, is the definitive best right now, since it's always changing and there's a lot to factor in."
McLean, one of the most accomplished FGC competitors in the world, finished a disappointing fifth with his familiar team of Bardock, Hit, and Android 16 at the tournament last month. He watched dominant Japanese talent stack the LCQs, and eventually the top eight – something he knew would be a challenge. "I felt pretty confident that I could take out any Japanese player," he says. "I thought my main challenge would have been other American players."
Despite his loss, McLean is still one of the most prominent Dragon Ball FighterZ players, and one of the best competitors in the fighting game community. Nothing will prevent him from chasing his dream of being one of the most storied champions in the history of fighting games.
Collecting the Dragon Balls
Dragon Ball FighterZ is barely even a year old, but the combination of its fast mechanics and popular characters made it the game of 2018 for many players, fans, and tournament organisers. Even though McLean sometimes moves through games quickly – he's deft at NetherRealm Studios' array of fighters – he wants to stick around with Goku and crew.
"With Dragon Ball, I just love the game," he says. "I'd also say it doesn't require a ton from me to stay on top, since I’ve already found my flow. Like other top players, I don't need to play as much to stay in shape. I wouldn't say I've plateaued, but I can take on anyone."
In spite of whatever may happen in the second season of Dragon Ball FighterZ, or in any upcoming tournament, McLean believes he's made his mark on the community, and is ready to move on once he's done with the game. "I think I solidified being the best when I won Evo," he explains. "Since that's what you go to Evo to do."
It's true that his performance on the big stage in Las Vegas was nothing short of astronomical, and it did nothing but add to his long list of accomplishments in the community. That trophy, his domination of the Injustice 2 and Mortal Kombat X scenes, and his 10-plus winner's trophies make him a decorated fighting vet. It also begs the question: when does McLean know he's done with a game?
"I know I'm ready to move on when I feel like I've made my mark,” he says. “When I've done something I love that makes an impact on everyone else. When I've felt like I'm the best."
Change is inside the very nature of fighting games and esports themselves, as metagames, rules, and popularity of games constantly shift throughout their lifespan. It's hard to nail down who was clearly the best, but that doesn’t matter to McLean. He just needs to leave his mark, whether through a dominant performance in the grand finals, beating every other dominant player in the game, or winning championships.
Looking at the future of the FGC
McLean's ultimate goal is still to be the cream of the crop, the best of the best in the fighting game community. He wants the undisputed title of best fighting game player in the world – and he's not that far off. But he can only do so much at one time, and while he loves the feel of Dragon Ball FighterZ, and plans to continue playing, SonicFox has his sights set on his next set of games.
"Mortal Kombat 11 is definitely going to be the next game I pick up fully," he tells us. "I'm not sure what else besides that, since it depends on what a game takes from me. If Mortal Kombat demands my all, then I can probably only do that."
McLean said he's also looking forward to Arc System Works' next game, Granblue Fantasy Versus, a fighting game set in the hit Granblue Fantasy RPG franchise. While McLean believes he can handle competing at a high level in at least three games at once, he doesn't know what he'll invest in until he plays. "Tekken, for example, requires me to really sit down and take time with the game," he explains. "I think I can get good, but I don't want to put in the time to compete at a high level. It takes too much time."
It's a grind for him to get to the peak of each game, but once McLean is there, it's almost like smooth sailing. Once he gets into the groove of a game he can't be stopped. Still, with other competitors, like Kazunoko, right next to him in the race to the top of the FGC, McLean has no time to slow down. That’s just fine by him.
"I love competing, it's exhilarating for me," he says. "I don't feel burnt out from the grinding, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon."
