Top FGC players on display at Red Bull Kumite

Offline events are slowly coming back in the fighting game community. With the return of Red Bull Kumite this weekend, Nov. 13-14, in Las Vegas and an all-star list of invited players (including four last-chance qualifiers), it finally feels like the fighting game schedule is back on track.

The event will feature three games: Tekken 7, Street Fighter V and Guilty Gear Strive with a mix of players that are both elite in their field as well as polarizing off it. For all three games, there will be a wild card last-chance qualifier (Street Fighter V will have two) to potentially shake up the field. The main event, and the game that truly got the kumite format started, will be Street Fighter v, but all three games should get their proper shine.

Tekken 7

Arslan Ash won the Tekken 7 final at Evo 2019. Photo credit: Patrick Maloney / Red Bull Content Pool

Tekken might be the most contentious invitational of the three games. With so much of the game’s tournament schedule over the past two years restricted to regional play and the online battlefield, there is not enough information to determine international rankings, but there are some serious contenders in this field. There are world champion fighters and players who routinely fight into the last days of major tournaments and who have never faded throughout the game’s lifespan. Even the most polarizing players with high social media followings are potential favorites to take down the top players.

The favorite on the list is a respect pick, but the greatest Tekken player of all time Jae-Min “Knee” Bae will need a lot of bad luck to end up on the outside looking in for the final. Whether it is Bryan or Lidia or a surprise pick fueled by crowd noise, his spacing is impeccable, his pace is genuinely one-of-a-kind, and his ability to absolutely dictate the closing moments of a match is a quality that cannot be taught. There’s plenty about Knee to wax poetic about, but he is simply the best player in this game for a reason.

After him, it may just be Genki “Gen” Kumisaka’s time to take the crown. The young Tekken prodigy is currently at the top of the Tekken Online Challenge for Japan, and his ascension to be the best in arguably one of the greatest regions for Tekken is no surprise. His relentless offensive movement coupled by a fearlessness that only comes from youth will make every game a track meet. He will look to ride the momentum of his most recent victory at a stacked Japan Online Masters that saw huge victories over monsters like Daichi “NOBI” Nakayama and Yuta “chikurin” Take.

Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique may be the most talented player in the field and the one that many will tune in to watch because he is that spectacular. Although he has a claim to the best Tekken player today, Red Bull Kumite will only help him cement that status further if he can emerge victorious. His signature speed and lightning-quick reactions have all the potential to make this tournament a one-man show.

I want to see the young talent emerge and really show off what they can do in this game. Whether it is Arslan Ash telling the world that he is once again the king of the mountain or Gen living up to all the promise when he became one of the only sponsored Tekken players in Japan by an international team, there should be plenty of good narratives this weekend.

Guilty Gear Strive

SonicFox has won many titles across multiple FGC titles. Photo credit: Mio Monasch / Red Bull Content Pool

Just one look at the invited list, as well as the player who won the last-chance qualifier (Tyler “Diaphone” Kusich), and it is obvious that this game will be the flashiest of the three. Regardless of the represented regions, there will be showmanship, potential jaw-dropping clips, and optimal set play galore, and it will all be glorious. With most of the field (and the game’s mechanics that encourage offense) identifying as more on the aggressive side, this invitational may be the fastest one to watch all weekend.

Jokes and shady tweets about the player’s interest in the overall game aside, the favorite is still Dominique “SonicFox” McLean. Their innovation and creativity when they play offense is a treat to watch, and equipped with someone like Leo only adds to the show. Who else will reversal four times in a row despite being punished for their life bar in the previous game? Who else will also optimize their punishes to the fullest and gain audible gasps from the audience because of their insane clutch factor? SonicFox is the favorite if they put in even an hour in training mode, and that is not a disrespect to the rest of the field. They’re just that good.

I’ll catch some flack for featuring the Japanese prodigy over some of the Guilty Gear legends in the field, but it’s Kei “BNBBN” Komada’s time to blow up. Already a success in Dragon Ball FighterZ, he came equipped with optimal conversions and elite defense, all qualities that only proved lethal in a game with less chaos. Sol Badguy may no longer be the world-ender character he was at the launch of the game, but in BNBBN’s hands that may not even matter. I’m looking forward to BNBBN proving me right with elimination after elimination.

The dark horse of the event might be a player who achieved recognition in an entirely different world of fighting games altogether, Soulcalibur. Jeremy “Skyll” Bernard is a technically proficient player who has experienced success in Soulcalibur, Dragon Ball FighterZ and now Guilty Gear Strive. His ability to force opponents to play up to his pace or make a mistake in a panic is world-class. Skyll’s cracks may be if those roles reverse, and he’s forced to play patiently.

Street Fighter V

Punk is considered one of the most successful North American Street Fighter V players of all time. Photo credit: Drew Gurian / Red Bull Content Pool

The main event of Red Bull Kumite also boasts the largest field of the weekend with two players that will qualify out of a brutal last-chance qualifier tournament. Any player that emerges from the last-chance pile could be a favorite to take down the tournament, but focusing on the invited list will give us a good idea of how the bracket may go down. This will be one of the first Street Fighter V exhibitions in over two years, and it will be exciting to see which player will show out and turn in a good show or who will bow out from nerves and expectations.

It may be a bit of a cop-out to put Victor “Punk” Woodley as the favorite, but he simply is. With technique that now spans the entire character list and a neutral game that he pioneered and that every other top player merely adopted, he will enter the weekend as the top player in Street Fighter V. Despite his motivation potentially being a very large detractor, Punk is still on the short list of world’s best players whether he has a lot of practice or not, and it will take some major upsets or nerves to eliminate him from finals contention Sunday.

Sim “NL” Gun might be the scariest in the tournament. He will be the person no one wants to face in an elimination match because you cannot match his level of fearlessness or boldness or mindset to experiment when there’s so much on the line. He is a player who walks the fine line between the spirit of reckless behavior and tactical neutral while also boasting the ability to never be conditioned. He will be among the last people remaining when all is said and done.

There are many players who can be on this list, but I can’t bet against a motivated Saul “MenaRD” Mena. With a character list that rivals Punk and an offensive style that has yet to be cracked even after his breakthrough victory at Capcom Cup 2017, the best may still be on the way. A player who wears his emotions on his sleeves and a level of dedication that is second-to-none, MenaRD is a player you want to root for when you know about the amount of work he puts into his craft. A strong performance this weekend will be a strong step toward national recognition for both his abilities and his country.

Street Fighter V is at a level of parity that rivals its predecessor and it will be on display through this weekend’s invitational format. I’m looking forward to seeing which player is truly hungry to take the next step forward and who may stumble when the pressure to perform gets to be too much.

Lead photo credit: Li Xiu Hoang / Red Bull Content Pool