EVO: Unity, Diversity, Community Greater Than Toxicity
BM, short for “Bad Manners,” is a short term acronym for the biggest issue inside gaming as a hobby and passion: Toxicity. Gatekeeping, among other exclusionary efforts, has made the pursuit of gaming notably difficult for new gamers, particularly those who aren’t represented well in gamer demographics. In professional eSports, it’s rare to see massive icons who are women. Kim “Geguri” Se-hyeon is probably the most notable, being the subject of intense scrutiny in her career. The Overwatch League star is one of the most popular players as part of the infamous Shanghai Dragons, a team that holds the sports record for longest losing streaks in history. Going winless (0-40) in the inaugural season of OWL, Geguri was brought onto the formerly Chinese-exclusive roster. Kim is South Korean, but was added to the team as a mid-season stopgap to try and plug the holes of a sinking ship. While the Dragons struggled to break through to their first win, it was often noted that while the player’s individual skills were notable.
Despite being heralded as a feminist icon, a symbol of women becoming more than a novelty act in eSports, Kim was reluctant to take such a role on her shoulders. Mentored by former player and current Overwatch commentator, Jang “AKaros” Ji-Su, Geguri progressed from an amateur player to professional. Jang, herself, has risen to take up one of the few coveted positions in professional eSports commentary. But it wasn’t smooth sailing to get there. Geguri suffered harassment early in her career after a camera bug in an early version of the observer client made it appear as if she was “robotic” for a brief moment. Despite Blizzard officially detailing the issue, Kim was met with massive backlash and borderline insane levels of violence and sexual harassment. A player on the team she defeated in the incident even publicly claimed that if their team suffered issues with their sponsorships he “…may visit [Kim]’s house with a knife in hand. I am not joking.”
Toxicity is a notable trait in many communities, with many gamers able to recall being called racial and gay slurs, being told that their mother was engaging in adult relations, etc. all being spoken by a voice over the internet that sounded like it hadn’t even hit puberty yet. League of Legends even permanently banned Tyler “Tyler1” Steinkamp, using a system called ID Banning. ID Banning meant Riot had staff observe Tyler1’s stream, and any account he played under was immediately banned. It was only after a Riot Games employee publicly defamed Steinkamp, mocking his looks and commenting that Tyler1 would “…die from a coke overdose or testicular cancer from all the steroids,” that the ban was reevaluated and Riot determined that Steinkamp had officially reformed.
But nothing is more notable as BM than the “Tactical Crouch,” often referred in blue humor as “tea-bagging” wherein a player uses a crouch command to place the groin of the character model over the face of a fallen opponent. It is a long-standing tradition in the first-person shooter genre, and in some circles is seen as good-natured ribbing when done to friends but considered faux pas to do so to strangers.
There is a genre of fighting games, a community built around rivalries, that has pushed the technical prowess of streaming techniques and technology. The Fighting Game Community, often referred to as the FGC, is notable for several reasons. Each fighting game, no matter how small of a niche, is known to have communities. Players often dedicate time and passion for games two decades or more after the game’s release. EVO 2019 is noted as the first time in six years that Super Smash Bros. Melee wouldn’t be featured as one of the nine major tournament events.
EVO, the Evolution Championship Series, is a bi-annual event each year. While EVO-Japan is a major event for the South East Asian region, the prime event occurs at the tail end of summer every year at the Mandalay Bay Resort, the event’s home for the past three years. Its first two days held in the Convention Center, and the final day of the Finals takes place at the Events Center. It is a weekend that many consider the FGC Mecca, a pilgrimage every serious FGC member must attend and compete in at least once. Its victors are considered World Champions of their respective game, and the competition is multinational.
While the early days of exposure of eSports and gaming competitions were mostly dominated by ideas and images of the traditional western nerd archetypes dominating, it was anything but in the FGC. The Fighting Game Communities originated in the arcades of the world, with regional affinity being considered an important factor. As EVO and other fighting game tournaments grew into bigger events, with even bigger entry pools of competitors, the diversity was easy to see. With this came playstyles often attributed to different regional locations, most notably between the East and West. The rivalry between Japan and North America is legendary, with epic tales of fighters and competitors that have spanned the twenty-year history of EVO.
There are often exceptions – incredible players coming out of regions not well known for their playstyles and scenes. In the case of Korea, we see incredible domination of the Tekken series. Examples of this are of the Mexican child prodigy turned SmashGod of Destruction, Leonardo “MKLeo” Lopez Perez. After missing EVO 2018 due to contracting chickenpox, he made his EVO debut this past weekend. After being knocked out in the Top 32 round, he reached an almost exalted state of being as he devoured and broke apart the entire Loser’s Bracket before claiming the Smash World Championship. His historic run revolved around the fact that he refused to capitulate when he was on the precipice of losing. His return from the loser’s bracket can be seen as a man who was thrown into the abyss and emerged from Hell after crushing it beneath his heel.
Perhaps nobody captures the imagination of a Cinderella story than the Pakistani Lion, Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique. Squirreled away from the rest of the FGC, a thriving and incredibly skilled Tekken scene had developed, where thousands of players fought, trained, and developed a style of play. Like the ancient martial monasteries from history often fictionalized, their recent discovery feels like something from classic kung-fu flick. Arslan Ash attended his first major tournament in February of this year at EVO-Japan 2019. There he displayed a level of dominance never seen before as he dismantled the competition. He quickly became a fan favorite, especially after the story of his arduous journey became publicly known. He spent three days of hellish travel, commonly going without eating, in order to arrive at the tournament just as his entry pool. Arslan Ash’s domination of the Tekken 7 tournament this past weekend ended what has been an incredible debut year, and cemented the never heard of Pakistani Tekken scene as the best in the world.
More important than the singular triumphs are the relationships that are built in the FGC. This year, nothing defined that as much as the rivalry and friendship between Goichi “Go1” Kishida and Dominique “SonicFox” McClean. These two men would never have met if not for the FGC. Goichi is a 31-year-old Japanese anime fighting game specialist. Often called one of the “Kings of Poverty” for the niche game’s low payout for prizes, if there are any payouts at all. A top tier defensive style player, he was primarily known for his middling to excellent results in Street Fighter V but upon the release of Dragon Ball FighterZ he came to prominence as the best Japanese player, and one of the best in the entire world.
McClean, a 21-year-old African-American, hails from the small town of Townsend, DE. He came to prominence for his fun and enthusiastic attitude and making public appearances at tournaments in “furry” costume pieces. Being openly gay, furry, and a person of color has made McClean an icon for many, not only in the FGC but in gaming in general. McClean was even named the eSports Player of the Year award at the 2018 Game Awards. After his victory over Goichi at EVO 2018 and being crowned the 2018 World Champion of Dragon Ball FighterZ he came out publicly, setting off an incredible year. Rising to prominence in the Nether Realm Studio produced games, Injustice and Mortal Kombat, he was known for his dominant playstyle, easily brushing off losses, and staying positive.
Meeting in the Grand Finals at EVO 2018, Goichi and McClean battled it out in what had, up to that point, been considered the greatest match of Dragon Ball FighterZ. Masterful defenses met with wily tactics eventually lead to SonicFox’s victory. But in a rematch at this year’s EVO 2019, the two collided in the Grand Finals, each approaching the match more as friends playing a series of matches and lacking any sense of bitterness or resentment. Shots of the competitors in between fights showed them laughing with smiles plastered on their faces. This was a major tournament of one of EVO’s nine official games with a massive prize pool on the line. But these two men, from two completely different backgrounds, who have walked two completely separate paths, with a decade of age between them, could have been seen as out of place but instead looked more like two friends hanging out at an arcade cabinet.
With an incredible display of defensive prowess, ending with a powerful final special combo, Go1 finally defeated SonicFox. The realization hits the man almost immediately, tears spilling from his eyes and flowing down his cheeks. But there are no tears in McClean’s eyes. Joy, excitement, and a childlike exuberance as he claps, hugging his greatest rival, helping him stand, and grabbing his wrist to lift Kishida’s hand into the air, openly declaring his friend and rival the Dragon Ball FighterZ 2019 World Champion. All the while exchanging smiles, hugs, and words of congratulations and acknowledgment.
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even, though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”
Pres. Theodore Roosevelt
