Daigo at Evo 2024: “I want to share the excitement, the fervor, the energy we experienced back then with a generation that didn’t get to live it.”

Evo Las Vegas 2024 was where legends gathered to reunite, duke it out against each other, and see what legacy they would leave within the fighting game community (FGC). Among these legends was none other than Daigo Umehara, who sat down with esports.gg for an interview about Evo, the past and present of the FGC, and what he plans for the future! Special thanks to translators Shino Sakurai and Greg Moore.

At Evo Las Vegas 2024, Daigo won the Evo Impact Award alongside Justin Wong, bringing their rivalry and friendship full circle since the famous Evo Moment 37 event. Daigo told esports.gg that receiving this award at the world's biggest esports tournament for fighting games is a true honor. He credited Evo Moment 37 as the catalyst that propelled him into professional gaming as well.

"It's a true honor to receive such an accolade at an event of this magnitude, the biggest esports tournament in the world," Daigo said. "Evo Moment 37 was unquestionably responsible for propelling me into pro gaming. That match was the catalyst that encouraged me to pursue this way of life."

The player continued, revealing that when he was waiting in a room to receive the Evo Impact Award, one of the players who made Top 6 for Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike told him that he started playing after seeing the Evo Moment 37 video. "That left an impression on me," Daigo said.

To him, each match is fleeting and each tournament is but a brief moment in time. Being a competitor for so long, he seldom reflects on his journey, but when fans from multiple generations greet him, he realizes how long he's been part of the FGC.

"Each match is over in an instant, and each tournament is just one fleeting moment in time," he said. "Meanwhile, I’ve been a frontline competitor for so long and always stayed so focused on just moving forward that I never think about it, but when all these people spanning multiple generations come up to say 'hi' to me, I realize, 'Man, I’ve been in this community a long time.'"

Daigo reflected on his overall experience at Evo Las Vegas 2024 as well, noting that in addition to competing, he had meet-and-greets and played Street Fighter 6 against fans. Despite being eliminated from the tournament, he found his matches satisfying and rewarding.

During the interview, Daigo shared that in order to stay sharp, he uses his years of experience while getting into the mindset of always learning. To him, having more experience doesn't necessarily make someone a better player.

"Looking objectively at Street Fighter 6 players, the younger crowd clearly has far better reactions than the old-timers. They’re quicker at responding to individual actions, and there’s a major physical disparity in our reflexes," Daigo said. "With that in mind, while I don’t feel it myself, I know it means I’ve also fallen behind the competition in that regard. To make up for it, I try to put my years of experience to work in my training.

"But the thing I drill into myself the most is that I shouldn’t think having more experience makes you the better player, or that having a career makes you right, or that you shouldn’t keep searching for new perspectives. That stuff not only prevents you from taking full advantage of your existing experience. It also hinders growth.

"We’ve switched to a new game now, so I’ve adopted a mindset of training like any other beginner, still making use of my prior knowledge, but not relying on it. For example, my ability to master a technique is no match for that of someone younger, but I have tricks for finding efficient and precise ways to practice, whereas younger players just have to train and train tirelessly because of their lack of experience."

When asked about the past and present of the FGC, Daigo noted that skill levels have risen worldwide thanks to easy access to replays and online matches. He revealed that he misses the unique interactions and the fun of arcades, but understands the value of modern convenience.

"Now that online play has become the standard, you can watch replays and find matches with ease, and the bar for skill has increased dramatically across the board, regardless of region," he said. "On the other hand, the arcade scene was like a separate world where you got to experience the true fun of fighting games through unique interactions — I was drawn to the arcades for that reason myself — so it’s a shame we don’t have that anymore. But I’m sure it would be very hard to combine modern convenience with that special space for interaction that the arcades offered."

In terms of how it all started for Daigo, his love for Street Fighter began all the way back at a video rental shop. "I went to my neighborhood video rental shop and saw they had a Street Fighter 2 cabinet in the corner, and from then on I was hooked," he told esports.gg "The sound, the graphics, the animation — everything about it impressed me. I was stunned. After that, I started saving up my allowance to go to the arcade."

Daigo also revealed that he's been working on a 10,000-person tournament. In working toward this goal, his team has held numerous Beast Cup tournaments since the pandemic began to keep the community excited. The thirteenth Beast Cup in late June, a 3-on-3 format, attracted over 3,400 participants. In late March, they hosted their first offline Beast Cup, achieving overwhelming community support and a strong sense of accomplishment.

"Back in the day, they held a Street Fighter 2 tournament at the Kokugikan, an arena for sumo wrestling, which is Japan’s national sport. The tournament amassed nearly 10,000 people for Street Fighter 2 alone, not multiple titles," Daigo said. "I want to share the excitement, the fervor, the energy we experienced back then with a generation that didn’t get to live it, and by doing so, further show them the joy of gaming."

That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more interviews, news, and updates across the FGC!