United States of America
Hi! My name is Ian Walker, and I've recently taken the plunge into the world of freelance writing. I spent the last five years at Shoryuken, the world's leading fighting game hub, and now I'm ready to take my show on the road.
You can currently find my work on websites like Red Bull eSports and Pokemon, but I'm looking forward to spreading my reach further.
Red Bull eSports
Marn puts on a show whenever he shows up to compete; NCR 2016 is simply the most recent example. Even among the wide array of people that make up the fighting game community, no one is quite like Martin "Marn" Phan.
Tekken's godfather explains his teams dedication to Japan's continued arcade cycle. While Street Fighter is typically regarded as the most popular fighting game franchise, Tekken stands alone in terms of pure sales. As of 2013, the series had moved over 42 million units worldwide, with the third installment alone contributing 8.3 million in sales .
One last-minute competitor puts a spotlight on the entire Middle Eastern fighting game community. One would assume that the road from a childhood playing fighting games to competing in an event as talent-dense as Red Bull Kumite is a lengthy one, and it was for many of the players invited to participate.
Evo's Chilean champion has quietly ushered in a new era of Marvel competition. The landscape of competitive gaming is ever-shifting, dictated by any number of factors inside and out. Top players come and go, tournaments rise and fall, but the greatest changes often occur with the release of a new title in which to throw down.
The unique Pokémon fighter makes a strong debut in Austin. Competitive gaming is a fickle mistress. Games built from the ground up to take advantage of the growing eSports scene have failed while others have spent years surpassing their creators' respective visions.
One of the most important aspects of fostering a healthy competitive community is teaching newcomers the ropes. If someone were to find a game they like, jump in, and learn nothing from their time with it, there's a high likelihood that they'll move onto greener pastures.
Pokémon
With excitement for Pokkén Tournament at a fever pitch after its fantastic showing at DreamHack Austin, the Championship Series traveled to Liverpool, England, for the Pokémon UK National Championships May 14 and 15. Some of the region's best players also made the trip, providing two amazing days of competition in the young series.
As the UK Nationals raged in England, the Pokkén Tournament Championship Series also put down roots in the Pacific Northwest. Though a bit smaller than the events that preceded it, the Seattle Regionals was jam packed with talent. It was a dense affair that offered a look at a wide array of Pokémon as it ran down to its conclusion.
One of the best things about the Pokkén Tournament Championship Series is that it's given relatively unknown players the opportunity to make names for themselves. Nowhere has that been more apparent than the Germany Nationals, which saw three amazing players push each other to their limits in Kassel last weekend.
Shoryuken
The fighting game community was dealt quite a blow when, last year, Adam "Keits" Heart made the decision to bring his Ultimate Fighting Game Tournament series to a close, riding off into the sunset after the tenth installment. Many would count this final outing as one of the best in...
Editor's note: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the writer and do not reflect Shoryuken as a whole. Last weekend's Capcom Cup was the culmination of seven years of competition, bringing the era of Street Fighter IV to a fitting close as we hurtle headlong towards...
In professional wrestling, heels (or villains) give babyfaces (or heroes) a reason to exist. Similarly, heels in competitive environments inject excitement into tournaments outside of results on a page. They are, for the most part, where storylines begin and end. People like Filipino Champ. Justin Wong in the days of...
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely the author's and do not represent Shoryuken as a whole. [hr] This past weekend, Bandai Namco Games celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the Tekken franchise with a handful of gameplay exhibitions and some new details on the series' upcoming seventh installment,...