Japanese warrior Kakeru hailed his Street Fighter™ 6 victory on Sunday night at Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, the biggest gaming and esports festival worldwide, as “life changing” after claiming silverware and the $400,000 winner’s prize.
Kakeru, who triumphed using the Street Fighter™ 6 character JP, did it the hard way after being beaten by Jordanian national Angry Bird 3-0 in the Upper Bracket Final at Boulevard Riyadh City. That meant he then played Punk, the American from Philadelphia, in the Lower Bracket Final, where he won 3-2.
The Grand Final, however, saw Kakeru gain revenge on Angry Bird, winning 3-1 and 3-0 to claim the coveted Gamers8 trophy and the lion’s share of the largest ever Street Fighter tournament prize pool – a cool $1 million.
Speaking at the post-tournament press conference, Kakeru said: “I still don’t know my actual feelings after all this. I think joy and happiness will come gradually to me. I’m relieved and calm that I won the tournament. This kind of tournament, this kind of money, it changes life. (But) I’ve no idea how to feel about it – this is a sum of money I can’t imagine at the moment.”
Commenting on why he favored using JP, Kakeru said: “JP is a new character to the Street Fighter series and when I saw the promotional video introducing him to the community, I thought he was extremely cool and that I’d like to try him. When I tried JP, he was very nice, very enjoyable, and very strong so I keep playing him.”
While most of the packed Riyadh crowd were disappointed that a regional favorite couldn’t win, Kakeru’s incredible comeback led to his name being chanted loudly by gaming fans in the arena.
Revealing he relaxed more for the Grand Final against Angry Bird which helped him emotionally and mentally, Kakeru also said he was “super grateful” for such a pleasant experience at Gamers8, which is organized by the Saudi Esports Federation.
After claiming Gamers8 victory, Kakeru also revealed that he watched videos of Angry Bird in action at a recent tournament in South Africa – which he felt gave him a Grand Final advantage.
Kakeru said: “He also played the character Ken there, so in a way you might say he was pretty easy to play against because I knew him well because of them.”
Street Fighter™ 6 at Gamers8: The Land of Heroes recap
From Thursday to Sunday, four days of fierce combat unfolded as Street Fighter™ 6 made its much-anticipated debut at Gamers8. The jaw-dropping extravaganza saw 32 of the most formidable players on the planet showcase their skills and fight IQ in a display of true mastery – with battle master Kakeru and JP earning the right to call themselves champions.
First released in the summer of 1987, Street Fighter™ is one of the highest-grossing video game franchises of all time and a staple of gaming folklore that has flourished over the decades. Some 35 years on from its inception, the series has solidified its hall of fame status with more than 52 million sales globally.
Already in recent weeks, Street Fighter™ 6 has been the talk of the town as gamers were offered a world-first, exclusive opportunity to test the latest star added to the fight roster – Rashid, the epic franchise’s new Arabic-inspired character. In association with the Saudi Esports Federation, Street Fighter™ 6 publisher Capcom offered the exclusive opportunity for Gamers8: The Land of Heroes festival goers to test Rashid from July 20-23 at Boulevard Riyadh City before his official release.
Gamers8: The Land of Heroes recap
Organized by the Saudi Esports Federation, eight-week long Gamers8: The Land of Heroes has a prize pool of $45 million – triple that of Gamers8 last year. The biggest gaming and esports festival worldwide features 16 elite esports tournaments from 13 top titles, as well as community gaming and educational platforms. These are complemented by live concerts from top global, regional, and local artists. Numerous fun-filled activities and attractions for the whole family complete the Gamers8 entertainment extravaganza.
The festival concludes with the Next World Forum, a gaming and esports forum held at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Center on August 30-31, that brings together sector leaders and experts from around the world.
Further details, including ticket sales, are available on the event website.
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