Gaming
esports
Daigo on his Capcom Cup hopes and dreams
The Beast discusses the upcoming tournament, his Street Fighter V picks and aims for the finals.
Unarguably one of the greatest Street Fighter players in history, Daigo ‘The Beast’ Umehara is looking to conquer this year’s Capcom Cup. As the world record holder for “the most successful player in major tournaments of Street Fighter”, Daigo is a household name in the fighting game world, and for good reason too: with over two decades of tournament play under his belt, as well as his role in the miraculous iconicEvo Moment #37, aka the Daigo Parry, The Beast is practically synonymous with Street Fighter itself – and he’s hoping to add another trophy to his long list of accolades at the 2016 Capcom Cup.
Daigo’s already had a handful of victories at various Street Fighter V tournaments around the world, and with Capcom’s biggest tournament going down this weekend, he’s aiming to beat his second place finish at last year’s tournament. Ahead of the upcoming competition, we got the chance to speak with Daigo about his training schedule, find out why he only plays as Ryu and get his advice to players just getting started in the world of SFV.
You’re down in the Capcom Pro Tour standings, but you’ve qualified for the Capcom Cup – are you looking forward to the tournament this weekend?
I’m very happy and excited to be there to compete along with the world’s top players. I’ve rested fairly well, and I am in a good health. It’s a tournament, so you never know what can happen. I have a chance to win, and of course, I will do my best.
Tell us about your training routine – how long do you practice for? Is there anyone in particular you train with, or do you practice combos by yourself?
I play for five to six hours in a day, solely online. I practice through matches rather than self-training for the finals.
You’re known for your prowess with Ryu in Street Fighter; are there any other characters in Street Fighter V you would play apart from Ryu?
I can, if I would want to, but I don’t plan to use any other characters, just because the fans would not want to see that, I think. I exist because of all the fans who have supported me. And my job is to put out an exciting and good game. I don’t just play for myself; I play for them too. So I have to think about what they want too.
Daigo celebrates his World Record
© Yusuke Kashiwazaki/Red Bull Content Pool
You’re well known for your rivalry with Justin Wong; are you looking to settle the score this year at the Capcom Cup? Who else are you looking forward to – or not forward to – facing?
Sure, I’m looking forward to a match against Justin. But I’m excited about the finals itself, so it’s not my particular concern against whom I would fight. I just want to do my best.
What do you think of the latest DLC characters to be added to SFV?
I’m curious about Akuma. Urien for sure is very interesting as we saw at Red Bull Battle Grounds last month.
Who do you think are the strongest characters in the game?
I think Chun-Li is the strongest. Juri, Zangief, Dhalsim, and Laura are the opposite.
What advice would you give to players just starting out?
I am particularly happy to see the young, new faces having joined the community in the current Street Fighter series. We saw lots of old timers come back with Street Fighter IV, and many of them have continued to hang on, like myself. This is a great community. There’s no ethnic or racial divide. We are the Street Fighters. We are all one.
As you get better at the game, like in anything, you will get more out of it and have more fun. We embrace everyone, so reach out to our community in order to raise your game. With the even more improved online functionality, you can learn virtually no matter where you are. You have all the tools you will need in your hands!
For more eSports coverage, follow @RedBullGames on Twitter and like us onFacebook.
