Cuddle Core talks TEKKEN 8, Evo 2024, and beyond: “I used to want to make a difference all the time as a kid.”

Evo 2024 in Las Vegas featured no shortage of talented players, including Jeannail "Cuddle Core" Carter who represented Red Bull eSports. Amid all of the action, Cuddle Core sat down with esports.gg for an interview about the TEKKEN 8 meta, her journey as a professional gamer, and more! Check out the full interview below.

To Cuddle Core, Evo Las Vegas is a reunion with friends in the fighting game community (FGC). This year is particularly special for her as it's the first Evo tournament for TEKKEN 8. Seeing various players and characters in action, especially with the game still so new, has been incredibly fun for her as well.

Cuddle Core also shared her thoughts on the TEKKEN 8 meta during Evo, noting that it's aggressive, but players are now rewarded more for making the right read, particularly with the Heat Burst mechanic. Previously, when someone activated it, you couldn't side step. This had a negative impact on a match's pacing. Therefore, the update is crucial because it balances aggression with defensive play, giving players the ability to make reads and even use Power Crush options.

She continued, going into her strategy and how she practices for events as big as Evo. "I have a coach and we go over a lot of different things to look out for at events. So [we go,] 'Hey, what are some common characters that we see? Common matchups — so Dragunov, Feng Wei, Victor — things like that," Cuddle Core said. "Characters can be very nuanced, and fighting them can be very overwhelming if you're trying to deal with every single thing."

To maintain her focus, Cuddle Core plays weekly online tournaments and reviews her matches to improve and develop counter strategies, too. Facing specialists of different characters helps her become more comfortable with her matchups.

As a TEKKEN 8 player, Cuddle Core is drawn to the addictive nature of competition and has fallen in love with training and constantly improving. Becoming an esports player was unexpected, but she enjoys seeing different facets of the scene and bonding with others who share her goals. To her, the sense of community and camaraderie within the FGC, as opposed to regular gaming spaces, plays a significant role in her growth and success despite the challenges of being a woman. However, she also acknowledges that some folks in the FGC still struggle to gain acceptance and respect.

"That sense of community is something that I didn't experience in that way — not with gaming," Cuddle Core said. "It was a little different. So that camaraderie — it's something that I really hung on to with evolving in this game. It's actually something that fueled me to continue to grow. It's what's one of the things that made me successful.

"Doesn't mean it wasn't difficult — because I am a woman here in the space. But I've made my own path in my own space and my own community. So I'm always protected, loved, and respected. I create my own space because sometimes, some of those spaces in the FGC — they're not always welcoming. And I will never lie about that. I think overall, it's very diverse, but some of us do struggle to get that acceptance and respect we do because of our backgrounds."

Cuddle Core then revealed that she often hears from other players that she inspires them to pursue competitive gaming or to play more TEKKEN. This always shocks and humbles her. She is proud that her presence in the community attracts more people and contributes to its improvement as well. When she was a kid, she had always wanted to make a difference.

"I still get so shocked. It happens a lot, and I'm like, 'Wow. I'm glad to make a difference,'" she said. "The mark that I've left here will bring in more people in. I'm just glad I got to contribute to the bettering of the space. I'm glad that my existence here has made a difference. I used to want to make a difference all the time as a kid. Sometimes, you don't know how. But I'm always honored and humbled because of it."

The player shared that she grew up playing a variety of games with her dad as well. She has fond memories of spending summers immersed in games like Kingdom Hearts 2, which sparked her passion for RPGs. Representing Red Bull at Evo symbolizes the evolution of her career and personal growth — something she never envisioned during her early days of carpooling to local tournaments.

Now, whenever Cuddle Core tells people that she's a professional gamer, she would explain that being a professional gamer is like being a traditional athlete with media duties and a training routine.

As for parting words, Cuddle Core reflected on her identity and more. "My identity and who I've become is something that never really came up much until I became so in the public eye. I am a woman, I am a Black woman, I am a pro gamer. Sometimes, you don't see that as much, right? It's made me love and appreciate who I am so much more because there are people who support that and how special that is. It's not just that, but the skill and everything else. They accept all of me.

"Becoming a pro gamer has been so eye-opening and rewarding. In the last couple years, I've become so much more open because of that. So I'm actually really grateful for that opportunity and the people who really made me accept and embrace that more."

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