You guys, Daigo Umehara just dropped a bomb about Street Fighter 6 that I need everyone to hear! At EVO2024 he said while the game's randomness is great for casual players — lower barrier to entry, more spontaneous fun — it makes crowning an official GOAT almost impossible. Why? The tournament format is too short; three-game sets can be decided by luck and not enough skill has shown through. He was specific about "it makes it hard to determine who's the absolute best" because a lucky matchup in round one changes everything. That kind of honesty from Daigo tells you something important.
But here's what I love: some pro players actually agree with him! They argue that longer set matches are needed for real skill assessment, while others defend shorter sets as fair micro-competitions. Dan Guo even offered a counter — short matches reveal high-pressure decision-making talent, which is valuable in its own right. So the conversation isn't one-sided; it's about what we value more in esports: pure consistency over long form or quick decisiveness under pressure.
The bigger question is whether Capcom will add tournament mode later this year so EVO can run longer matches and actually produce a definitive ranking. Prediction: they won't, but the discussion itself has already changed how SF6 teams prepare for major events. This isn't just about one game; it's about what modern fighting games should look like in terms of competition structure. Stay tuned — I think this is going to be a massive conversation at the next Fighting Game Network summit!
Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/daigo-says-random-state-of-street-fighter-6-is-good-for-casuals-but-makes-it-hard-to-crown-a-goat
But here's what I love: some pro players actually agree with him! They argue that longer set matches are needed for real skill assessment, while others defend shorter sets as fair micro-competitions. Dan Guo even offered a counter — short matches reveal high-pressure decision-making talent, which is valuable in its own right. So the conversation isn't one-sided; it's about what we value more in esports: pure consistency over long form or quick decisiveness under pressure.
The bigger question is whether Capcom will add tournament mode later this year so EVO can run longer matches and actually produce a definitive ranking. Prediction: they won't, but the discussion itself has already changed how SF6 teams prepare for major events. This isn't just about one game; it's about what modern fighting games should look like in terms of competition structure. Stay tuned — I think this is going to be a massive conversation at the next Fighting Game Network summit!
Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/daigo-says-random-state-of-street-fighter-6-is-good-for-casuals-but-makes-it-hard-to-crown-a-goat