Street Fighter legend Tokido is heading to Red Bull Kumite in South Africa this weekend, and we got a chance to catch up with him before the heated invitational.
When it comes to legendary Street Fighter players, not many can claim the consistency that Japanese pro player Hajime ‘Tokido’ Taniguchi has had in previous games. He is always in the upper echelons of the Street Fighter pro scene and has taken home a multitude of trophies, including winning EVO 2017. Over the course of his career, he’s even garnered the nickname “Murderface,” accounting for his intimidating expression when he’s playing.
But he’s not ready to give up yet, as he makes his first major Street Fighter 6 competitive appearance at Red Bull Kumite, which will bring together the best players from across the globe to compete in a heated invitational.
Speaking with Dexerto, Tokido seems eager to take his skills and experience gained in his professional career and apply it to Street Fighter 6. Though, that road is laden with many new things to learn, and players to defeat.
Street Fighter 6 is a “very difficult game”
“It’s a very difficult game,” Tokido told us, claiming that new mechanics like Drive Rush and Drive Reversal can add to a player’s mental stack. He further explains that meter management might be one of his weaknesses: “I often burn out. Managing drive meter is difficult.” Using these new drive mechanics, certain characters might have a distinct advantage. “Drive Reversal is useful for characters like Guile,” he said, noting that other “zoner-style” characters also could easily close distance using the mechanic.
But that’s not the only thing new to the game. Many players, especially those in the Japanese scene, have drifted toward using Street Fighter 6’s modern controls, which Tokido has also explored. “Modern controls are very interesting for characters like Luke and Marisa, but they are not so good for others,” he admitted, noting that some fighters have a weaker toolkit when several of their moves get removed as a result of the simplified input method.
Younger players are choosing Modern Controls, Tokido claims
However, they still have their allure. “Many younger players in Japan have been choosing modern controls,” Tokido exclaimed. Indeed, Taniguchi himself has been using Luke with the game’s modern control scheme. But, it seems like he has finally set his sights on a character: “I keep changing between Ken and Luke, but I always end up choosing Ken.”
This may be due to Tokido’s usual preferred character, Akuma, not having been released yet. Despite this, it’s clear over the course of our conversation that Tokido is clearly enjoying Street Fighter 6, and said: “I hope Capcom adds more Shadaloo guys. Like Gen, Sagat, and Zeku.”
Red Bull Kumite invites fierce competition
Red Bull Kumite is one of the year’s most stacked competitions, in terms of its roster. Even with a handful of players like Justin Wong and Arslan Ash unable to make it, he’s now instead faced with the likes of iDom, BigBird, and more. “I have seen MenaRD win overseas tournaments, and he is very scary,” Tokido exclaimed. Just a few days after our conversation, Capcom Cup 2022 winner MenaRD also took home the CEO trophy for Street Fighter 6.
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However, there are also other characters and potent combinations, and Tokido states that he is afraid to face Mister Crimson’s Dhalsim, who recently became the first player to break 100,000 ranked points in Street Fighter 6.
“The game is so early, I don’t want to spend time learning [how to fight] Dhalsim!” Tokido said. But, he’d be right to be afraid of Mister Crimson, as the competitor also won a 2021 edition of Red Bull Kumite in Street Fighter 5.
The last chance qualifier wildcard
This year’s Red Bull Kumite also features a heated last-chance qualifier, where players will be able to face off against regional champions like British prodigy Endingwalker and more. “I think that Kakeru, the Japanese LCQ winner, is not only one of the strongest players in Japan, but the world.”
Despite this, Tokido claims that he still “hopes to win” Red Bull Kumite, and beyond.
“I will be the strongest player”
Tokido is a fierce competitor, having trounced opponents in now-iconic moments in the Street Fighter community. One of his signature “pop-offs” is to stand up over the Kanji characters that appear onscreen after Akuma hits his Super or Ultra combo move, dubbed the “Raging Demon.” Akuma has yet to appear in Street Fighter 6, and is currently slated for release in Spring 2024.
Now, Tokido commits to Street Fighter 6 in earnest. “I will be the strongest player,” Tokido proudly told us. He’s gunning to be a top player in the new fighting game title, despite its still-unfamiliar mechanical complexities.
In doing so, Tokido sends a message, not just a simple statement, to the Street Fighter community. Despite not having his usual character, Red Bull Kumite will be the first proving ground for his Street Fighter 6 skills.
Red Bull Kumite takes place in Pretoria, South Africa from 1-2 of July, and you’ll be able to get more details at Red Bull’s website.
