By Red Bull eSports
Big names round out the roster for Red Bull Kumite as the former champion looks to defend his title.
The Red Bull Kumite is back, and is already looking better than ever. A staggering 256 Street Fighter V players will compete on May 27, trying to earn their chance to play against the best in the world in the main event on May 28 in Paris’s stunning Salle Wagram. The main event features some of the biggest names ever to grace the Street Fighter scene such as Tokido, Bonchan and Luffy.
With just three names left to announce everyone is wondering who has made it in and who will be missing out on the greatest event of the year. The competition has been fierce, and nobody’s place was guaranteed, but we think you’ll all be pretty happy with the results. So without further ado, these are the final players that will be heading to the Red Bull Kumite.
Daigo Umehara
Arguably the biggest name in Street Fighter history is making his way to Red Bull Kumite. At 35 years old, Daigo Umehara is one of the elder statesmen of the scene, but he shows no sign of slowing down and is still putting in strong performances at every event he attends. With him in the lineup for Kumite you know things will always be entertaining, and who knows, he may even pull off the perfect parry once again.
While Umehara was arguably better in Street Fighter IV, he should not be underestimated by anyone. He placed in joint 13th place back at the Capcom Cup last year, but as the year went on he continued to improve. With more than a few months of extra practice he is certainly one of the top contenders for the Kumite crown.
He has already announced his plans to stick with Ryu for season two of Street Fighter V, a character that he knows inside out. Sure, Ryu may not seem quite as viable with the new changes, but we’re fairly sure that even the most unfavoured character in the game could be deadly in the hands of The Beast.
Infiltration
Lee “Infiltration” Seon-woo is regarded by many to be the best Street Fighter V player in the world right now. Victories last year at Evo and multiple premier events such as Final Round and the NorCal Regionals along with the Red Bull Kumite 2016 made everyone stand up and realize that the South Korean player was going to be tough to beat in season one. Then the Capcom Cup came around and he had an off day, but now he is back and better than ever.
His skills on Nash last year were unrivaled, but with the massive nerfs to the character this year it remains to be seen just what he will main in 2017. He has already spoken about how he feels the game has changed a little too much for his liking this year, but also acknowledged that his thoughts are not going to change the game so he just has to get down to practicing a lot.
Regardless whether he chooses to stick with Nash, or move onto something else, we know he will head into Red Bull Kumite as one of the favorites for the entire event, especially as he looks to defend his championship. Anyone who wants to win will most likely have to go through Infiltration and that is no easy task.
Gachikun
While he may not be as widely known as the other four Japanese pro players attending the Red Bull Kumite, Gachikun is definitely one of the best Rashid players in the world. After an impressive performance against Daigo at Red Bull 5G, Gachikun showed he is here to stay at the Topanga League, where he got the upper hand on Bonchan and Momochi during the pool phases. This young talented player may be the big surprise at the event.
You
That’s right, you could potentially be one of the final contestants for Red Bull Kumite. The 256-player open bracket gives anyone and everyone the chance to qualify for the best event of the year. Think you can do a better parry than Daigo or can out-Nash Infiltration? Then sign up for the competition on March 12 at 8 p.m. CET and book your place in the competition. The top two players from the open bracket will make it to the main event on day two, so who knows? If you get practicing you too could become the champion of Red Bull Kumite, and become an instant legend in the world of Street Fighter.