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Everything you need to know about Red Bull Kumite 2023
Red Bull Kumite is back and this time Street Fighter 6 is the battleground. Here's everything you need to know about this year’s thrilling event.
This weekend, from July 1-2, some of the most elite fighting game players will meet in the glorious city of Pretoria, South Africa for an almighty brawl in Capcom's latest game Street Fighter 6. That’s right, Red Bull Kumite 2023 is about to go down. Here’s the lowdown on this year’s festivities.
01
What is Red Bull Kumite?
An esports tournament with more zest than Zangief’s spinning piledriver, Red Bull Kumite has become one of the must-watch events on the Street Fighter and fighting game community (FGC) calendar. With past events taking place around the globe, some of the world’s top fighters have been gathered together in spectacular arenas where only one person can emerge victorious.
Expect matchups between World Champions, EVO winners past and present, former Red Bull Kumite victors and rising stars looking to make a name for themselves.
02
What happened at Red Bull Kumite 2021?
Last held two years ago, fans were treated to two editions on either side of the Atlantic. The first of which was held at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in London, UK. The tournament, which was played on Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, saw France's Nathan 'Mister Crimson' Massol take the top prize, with Derek 'iDom' Ruffin finishing as runner-up.
The second Street Fighter V competition was held in Las Vegas, USA. iDom made another play for the top spot but was eliminated in the semi-finals by the UK's Benjamin 'Problem X' Simon. The Brit then took on Sim 'NL' Gun, defeating the South Korean player to snatch first place.
Problem X will be looking to retain his title
© Li Xiu Hoang/Red Bull Content Pool
03
Where is Red Bull Kumite 2023 taking place?
This year Red Bull Kumite heads to South Africa and the administrative capital of Pretoria. Since 2015, the event has played host to some of the most intense fights in esports history, as players from around the world proved their skills.
Previous events have taken place in London, Tokyo, Paris and Las Vegas, but this year Red Bull Kumite comes to a new continent, as fighting gamers descend on the University of Pretoria's Rembrandt Hall.
04
How do I watch Red Bull Kumite 2023?
05
What is the schedule for Red Bull Kumite?
The schedule for the Last Chance Qualifier on Saturday 1 July looks like the following.
CEST (Central Europe Summer Time)
JST (Japan Standard Time)
EST (Eastern Daylight Time)
Start of the live stream
10:45
17:45
04:45
Pools A1 to A4
11:00
18:00
05:00
Pools B1 to B4
13:00
20:00
07:00
Top 24
15:00
22:00
09:00
Top 16
17:00
0:00 J+1
11:00
Team Battle Showcase
23:00
6:00 J+1
17:00
The schedule for the Main Event on Sunday 2 July is as follows - you won't want to miss this.
CEST (Central Europe Summer Time)
JST (Japan Standard Time)
EDT (Eastern Daylight Time)
Pre-Show
13:30
20:30
7:30
Draw Ceremony
14:00
21:00
8:00
Round 1 Matches
14:30
21:30
8:30
Combo Contest
18:00
1:00 J+1
12:00
Top 8
18:30
1:30 J+1
12:30
Final
21:30
3:30 J+1
15:30
06
Who's taking part in Red Bull Kumite?
The event will see 16 of the top Street Fighter players from across the globe battle it out. The full list of the 15 confirmed participants is as follows, while we await to see who will emerge from the Last Chance Qualifier and grab the final seat:
Hajime 'Tokido' Taniguchi (Japan)
Tokido looks ready for battle
© Stephanie Lindgren/Red Bull Content Pool
Tokido is a three-time EVO champion. The fighting pro has earned titles in Capcom vs. SNK 2, Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Street Fighter V.
Ricardo 'Mono' Roman (Puerto Rico)
Mono represents Puerto Rico and is one of the hottest talents to emerge from the Caribbean island. Earlier this year, he earned first place in DreamHack San Diego's Street Fighter V tournament.
Justin Wong (USA)
Justin Wong holds the record for the most EVO titles held by a single player, having won nine tournaments between 2001 and 2014.
Jabhi 'Jabhim' Mabuza (South Africa)
Goliath Gaming's Jabhim is an emerging South African esports star who recently bagged top spot at Red Bull Hit the Streets 2022.
Nathan 'Mister Crimson' Massol (France)
Team Falcons' Mister Crimson recently proved himself at Headstomper 2023 where he took first place in the Street Fighter 6 tournament. He's also known for his prowess in Samurai Showdown, Dragon Ball FighterZ and Guilty Gear.
Derek 'iDom' Ruffin (USA)
iDom is one of the finest Street Fighter pros to emerge from the USA in recent years, having won the Capcom Cup in 2019.
Sim 'NL' Gun (South Korea)
This South Korean star started out competing in The King of Fighters, before switching focus to Street Fighter V, where he used Cammy to win the Saigon Cup and Combo Breaker.
Tsunehiro 'Gachikun' Kanamori (Japan)
Gachikun is set to compete
© Jason Halayko/Red Bull Content Pool
The Hiroshima native was one of the top Rashid players in Street Fighter V and won the Capcom Cup in 2018, and will be no doubt looking to make his mark in the SF6 era.
Masato 'Bonchan' Takahashi (Japan)
Bonchan was dubbed 'King of Sagat players' in Japan for his prowess in Street Fighter IV. He previously won Red Bull Kumite in 2015 and defeated Big Bird to win his first EVO Championship Title in 2019.
Adel 'Big Bird' Anouche (UAE)
Algerian-born player Big Bird is known for his Ken play, having most recently won the Slash N Dash Emirates Showdown.
Benjamin 'Problem X' Simon (UK)
Problem X has been active in the Street Fighter scene since 2011, becoming an EVO champion in 2018. As the latest Red Bull Kumite champion, he’ll be looking to defend his crown.
Leevy 'Oil King' Lin (Taiwan)
Oil King is ready to take on Street Fighter 6
© Marv Watson/Red Bull Content Pool
Oil King won last year's EVO tournament, adding another title to a stellar career of Street Fighter excellence.
Zhen Kuang (China)
Zhen made a name for himself in Street Fighter and BlazBlue, achieving second place at the Capcom Cup IX earlier this year.
William 'Leffen' Hjelte (Sweden)
Best known as a professional Super Smash Bros. player, Leffen has now turned his attention to Street Fighter, competing at his first SF tournament at Red Bull Kumite 2023.
Arslan 'Arslan Ash' Siddique (Pakistan)
Three-time EVO champion Arslan Ash is considered one of the best Tekken players in the world and is credited with bringing the Pakistani fighting game community to the mainstream - will he be able to bring his talents to Street Fighter 6?
07
How do I attend?
Spectator tickets can be purchased here.
