Gachikun at Evo 2024: “We’ve deepened our connections and forged bonds of friendship through the shared language of Street Fighter.”

Evo 2024 in Las Vegas drew in players from around the world who cheered for their favorites, reconnected with old friends, and competed for the gold. Among the attendees was Tsunehiro "Gachikun" Kanamori, a Capcom Cup champion and Red Bull eSports player. Amid all the excitement happening in the arena, Gachikun sat down with esports.gg for an exclusive interview about Evo, the fighting game community (FGC), how he practices for tournaments, and more.

He also shared some special words for those who are new to the Street Fighter franchise. Check out the full interview below! Special thanks to translators Shino Sakurai and Greg Moore.

To Gachikun, Evo has always felt like an international festival, and he was excited to attend again this year. When he returned to an Evo event in 2022 as the pandemic subsided, he felt welcomed even by his rivals, which made him feel like part of a family. This experience highlighted the connections and friendships forged through the shared language of Street Fighter.

"Players I’d long fought against as rivals immediately welcomed me with open arms and made me feel like part of a family, which made me really happy," Gachikun told esports.gg. "It made me realize that even though we may not speak the same language, we’ve deepened our connections and forged bonds of friendship through the shared language of Street Fighter."

Red Bull as a brand played a role in uniting the community as well, he continued. While esports has gained some attention in Japan, players aren't as widely recognized. Therefore, being sponsored by such a global brand helps validate the scene and legitimizes everyone's efforts.

"When I appear at events or meet up with friends and tell them I’m sponsored by Red Bull, the reaction is, 'Wow, that’s amazing,'" he said. "It’s enough to get them to immediately recognize my position and it's indicative of Red Bull’s credibility as a global brand. Having them as a sponsor validates the esports scene as something of value, and helps make the case to people that what we’re doing is legitimate. I feel this very strongly."

Gachikun revealed how he gets ready for tournaments as well. His preparation starts about a half a year in advance. However, preparation doesn't only mean physically playing the game itself. Rather, it means envisioning himself as a winner.

"When I say 'preparation,' I mean imagining myself winning my way to finals, standing on the awards stage, and receiving the 1st place trophy as part of my daily routine," he told esports.gg. "My actual training is the same as always — I don’t do anything special to practice for Evo specifically."

Each Street Fighter 6 update introduces new features and techniques, which he diligently masters. Modern mode, in particular, has attracted many new players. Therefore, he feels the need to stay knowledgeable about this mode to show new players the ropes.

"Until recently, Kawano," Gachikun said when asked if he's mentoring anyone. "Partly because we were on the same team, I talked to him not only about the game, but about how to embody a professional mindset and establish a basic lifestyle. Maybe younger players find me intimidating, as they don’t often approach me for advice, but when I’m asked, I offer advice based on my own experiences. Recently, I’ve had those sorts of discussions with Ryukichi, who hails from Hiroshima like myself and just went pro."

The player then shared his thoughts about those he looks up to, with Daigo Umehara being a key figure.

"Daigo Umehara paved the way for all of us, and that’s an unwavering fact no one can deny," Gachikun told esports.gg. "He can’t be surpassed, and yet we must strive to. Following him are players like Tokido, Mago, and Bon, whom I view as benchmarks, but I know I won’t surpass my forebears by simply following their lead, so I try to add my own style and originality as well."

As for parting words, the player encouraged folks to give Street Fighter 6 a try. The game is not only accessible, but also really fun.

"I’m sure there are people out there who still haven’t tried Street Fighter 6," he said. "If you give it a shot, it really will be even more fun than you imagined. With Modern mode, you can perform awesome special moves with the push of a single button and get an immediate taste for what makes fighting games so entertaining. Get started with Modern mode and give Street Fighter 6 a try!"

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