Former EVO champion Luffy LFT ahead of Street Fighter VI launch cover image

Former EVO champion Luffy LFT ahead of Street Fighter VI launch

Former EVO champion Luffy is looking to make his mark with a new team in the Street Fighter VI era.

Former Evolution Championship Series and Capcom Pro Tour champion Olivier "Luffy" Hay is in search of a new team ahead of the launch of Street Fighter VI in 2023. The french player best known for competing while using a PlayStation One controller announced via social media that his contract with current organization Team Go ends on December 31. Specifically, Luffy mentions Street Fighter VI and the Riot-developed fighter Project L as his main focus for the next year.

The success of Luffy in the fighting game community spans over a decade and multiple games. His first taste of the major spotlight came in 2014 when he took first place at EVO in Street Fighter IV, besting Japanese powerhouse and Sagat player Masato "Bonchan" Takahashi. His win brought Rose to the forefront of the game's meta as a character choice and showed that you don't need a fightstick to be a world champion.

While not reaching the same highs of success in Street Fighter V, Luffy did score victories in the Capcom Pro Tour Europe stage, as well as strong showings at events like First Attack, Saltmine Leagues, and EVO once more.

Given the hype surrounding the release of both Street Fighter VI and Project L it's not a shock to see former champions looking to make another run in the FGC. Luffy surely will not be the last fighting game legend with plans to come for the crown in a new game environment.