“Absolutely no respect”: Evo’s treatment of Daigo and MenaRD Legends Live shows he no longer understands FGC

The Japanese fighting game community has come together behind the Legends of Kemonomichi LIVE compare, and not because Daigo Umehara is lost. Come on hosted the broadcast, and many felt the production quality was disrespectful.

Now, many accuse Evo of not understanding the magnitude of the historic game and trying too hard to create moments rather than letting them happen naturally. It’s a sad ending to one of the most important sports Street Fighter history.

And if you ask me, I believe Evo has lost touch with the fighting game community.

Daigo againSaul Leonardo “MenaRD” Mena II faced the first-to-10 on April 29th after the latter politely asked Daigo, a long-time legend, if he was ready.

“It would be the biggest honor in my career if I could get a chance to fight you in the first-to-10,” MenaRD wrote to X on legend last year. “Since I was young, I have dedicated myself to preparation, and I wonder how far we can take it if we decide to focus on one set between us for months.

FGC has been waiting for you ever since. Due to the timing and brand of the event, I made the mistake of saying it was put on by Evo. However, I was wrong. It was a “kemonomichi” Evo event later on asked to be a partwhich offers to start streaming. As it turned out, Evo’s involvement was problematic.

This was an event that FGC took very seriously. Especially in Japan, where it happens. Daigo is 45 years old, a veteran of the Street Fighter scene who is often considered the GOAT. He is called “The Beast.” The event has been translated as “The Trail of the Beast,” a battle to the death instead of a game. That is because there is no match. There they are. It was like he was dead.

When MenaRD won 6-10, he responded with great respect for this legend. The FGC praised MenaRD’s skills and respect, while saying that Daigo is still the best he’s ever been. It was a great and inspiring time in the fighting game community. Daigo even said that he was thinking of retiring if he lost to MenaRD, but the game renewed his love for this game.

However, when the emotions wore off, FGC realized that they hated the production of the game. It took almost an hour before the match started, the translation work was sloppy, and Evo used American talent rather than Japanese talent. This has led to many cultural differences, such as the global audience not hearing some of the weighty and impactful quotes from Daigo before the game, and the American talent not seeming to take the game seriously. When they asked the crowd to clap if they believed Daigo would win, the Japanese fans found this disrespectful.

“Way of the Beast was an event that Ume-san took the time to prepare, focusing on people like never before, including combinations and deep rivalries and conflicts that mattered,” Prote Street Fighter Masato “Bonchan” Takahashi expressed on X. “It wasn’t just feeling overwhelmed by the loss—like really overwhelmed—like really overwhelmed by the loss—like really overwhelmed—like you would really be overwhelmed. forgive, that the words alone sound too arousing to try to capture.”

One fan explained: “Winning in the Beast’s Path has more weight for Mena and Daigo than any title. There are no comebacks, and those who lose in the Beast’s Path will not participate again. The Beast’s Path is not a show; it’s a game where defeat means death. You can only see that it’s an illegal game that asks something like ‘Which one wants to die?’ it will be.”

Another said: “Does the phrase ‘a deadly battle with swords’ convey the point? The loser dies. If you want to feel that raw, stinging tension between each other, do you really need words? It’s not specific – it’s everything. Even pre-battle discussions don’t need to start at all. Because it’s fight and kill wherever you need it. goooo!’ or. It’s not a game — it’s a fight to the death.”

Someone simply said: “I will never forget how you used the Way of the Beast as a tool to make money and then threw it away.”

Evo is accused of failing to understand the impact of this important and critical incident. But it also felt like Evo hijacked the event to make it a spectacle. And this is something that has been a concern of late.

Evo used to be the only event in Las Vegas. Last year’s expansion was already met with some concerns, with Arslan Ash saying it would detract from the event’s reputation. When Saudi Arabia’s RTS took over and announced a major round, the FGC became even more skeptical. That’s because FGC is not trying to be a database. It’s not about trying to be great.

FGC is obsessed with authenticity. Grind. Enthusiasm. Roots. They don’t want the same show for content creators, even if it means bringing in more viewers and money. They don’t want all these cheap things, manufacturing, and subsidies. Some of the best FGC events are Super Smash Bros., where pop-offs run rampant, tournaments are intense, pros make money games with fans, and there are players betting on the Grand Finals. It’s a mess. It is green. It is true.

Evo feels like the company’s version of what FGC is actually is something. Streamers, expansion… It feels like Evo wants to be bigger than it is. It seems like it’s forcing the hype instead of letting the real moments happen.

One tweet said: “I think Evo is trying too hard to create another Moment 37. The *** doesn’t work anymore, and all the forced hype brings it down. I remember when the s*** happened, and we reacted, we didn’t make some noise to consider the opinion of some s*** bred to respond.”

Real s***.

The 37th minute was when Daigo and Justin Wong had the famous Street Fighter finals at Evo 2004. With only one life vine left, Daigo hit 15 consecutive hits of Chun-Li’s best attack. He avoided death. He won.

That was not planned. That was not written. No one was on stage telling the crowd to be happy. This is what happens when myths are backed up to the wall. This is what happens when the fighting game community is left alone to be itself. You are crazy. The big one. It has been decided.

Recently, Dominique “SonicFox” McLeanagainGoichi “Go1” Kishida fight a short staged battle to remember their last time fighting in Dragon Ball FighterZ. It was so good it left the crowd crying. It meant a lot to fans of the little fighting game. Two legends. The best part? It was unexpected. SonicFox and Go1 organized it together. There is no hype. No screaming. There is no production. They just wanted to do it.

While we need events like Evo – with many titles competing together – to keep the esports hype alive, we need the old one Come on. A classic Major League game. None of these things are new. Fighting games are not League of Legends or Call of Duty. We don’t want actors flailing around on stage with smoke around them. We don’t want commentators to wave at us and clap their hands. Just let the social fighting game experts do it for you.

That’s where the real magic happens. It cannot be made or reproduced or enforced. You have to understand the fighting game community to allow these things to happen naturally. To see how important FGC is.

And I don’t think Evo understands that anymore.