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esports
Top 7 fighting game players of all time
Take a look at the fighting game pros who have fought – and won – their places in history.
Esports has become a major point of discussion around the world, thanks primarily to games like Dota 2, Counter-Strike: GO and Overwatch. However, competitive gaming is built on more than just first-person shooters or strategy titles like Starcraft. It's also about fighting games. Two competitors enter. One leaves. There can only be one winner and the tension is oftentimes palpable. Let's take a look at the top seven fighting game players throughout history.
Jason “Mew2King” Zimmerman
Being a pro fighting game player is no easy task especially when it comes to Super Smash Bros. Jason Zimmerman aka Mew2King makes it look fairly easy though. At age 28, Zimmerman has amassed more than $200,000 in prize money since beginning his pro career at age 16. Ironically enough, Zimmerman only plays MewTwo in Project M – his other characters range from Fox and Mario to Meta Knight and Cloud. With over 70 tournament wins in his career and a play-style built on precision, Zimmerman also co-owns Most Valuable Gaming, which is a video game tournament organiser. At this point in his career, Zimmerman is one of the most venerated icons of Smash Bros competitive gaming.
Daigo Umehara
Daigo Umehara
© Vice Media
The man, the myth, the legend himself – Daigo Umehara is perhaps one of the most decorated Street Fighter pro players of all time. Nicknamed “The Beast”, Umehara has been playing fighting games since the age of 10. At 35 years, he's still considered a titan in Street Fighter. In fact, he currently holds three Guinness World Records - “the most successful player in major tournaments in Street Fighter”, “most views for a competitive fighting game match” and “highest all time rank in Ultra Street Fighter 5”. From popularising the competitive Street Fighter scene with his intense rivalries to his unforgettable string of parries at EVO 2004, Daigo Umehara's name will be remembered in gaming Valhalla.
Justin Wong
Justin Wong
© Cross Counter Training
If Daigo Umehara is considered one of the great Street Fighter players of all time, then the same argument could be made for his rival, Justin Wong. Wong has had a long and illustrious career in just about every fighting game franchise imaginable. With the most EVO Championship Series titles of any competitor in history, Wong picked up eight titles alone in Marvel vs. Capcom 2 from 2001 to 2010. That's not taking into account his various legendary conflicts with Daigo Umehara including the critical moment at EVO 2004 where his Chun-Li lost to Daigo's Ken in an epic comeback. At age 31 and currently playing for Team Echo Fox, Wong is just getting started.
Marie-Laure “Kayane” Norindr
Marie-Laure “Kayane” Norindr
© Red Bull
Marie-Laure Norindr aka Kayane is in another realm when it comes to prestige. She has numerous Guinness World Records to her credit, Kayane's first major victory came at age 9 when placed second in a Dead or Alive 2 tournament in France. From there, Kayane became the first female Super Street Fighter IV World Champion thanks to her performance EVO 2010. She's also well-known for playing against audience members in Soulcalibur V without even looking at the screen and still emerging victorious! It's also crazy to think about her successful career as a journalist as she currently co-hosts Game One's esports show on French TV. Don't let her kind demeanour fool you – Kayane shows no mercy.
Dominique “SonicFox” Mclean
Dominique “SonicFox” Mclean
© Shoryuken
The furry hat wearing Dominique Mclean is fairly chilled out, only really taking off his trademark headgear when the stakes are high. His championship wins from EVO 2014 and 2016 to ESL's Mortal Kombat X Pro League Season 1, Season 2 and Season 3 Finals are epic. Did we mention he's only 19 years old? Mclean's fighting game repertoire comprises of some niche titles like Skullgirls and Under Night In-Birth EXE: Late. However, he's more than skilled at Mortal Kombat X and Street Fighter V and he is considered to be a top-tier fighting game pro in the world.
Seonwoo “Infiltration” Lee
Seonwoo “Infiltration” Lee
© The Score Esports
“Infiltration” is a fitting nickname for Seanwoo Lee. He's not as big a household name like Umehara or Wong but Lee is arguably the superior Street Fighter player right now. Currently signed to Team Razer, Lee has held the world championship in EVO on four separate occasions. Since Street Fighter V's release, he's seen ranked first in nearly every single major competition including EVO 2016, Red Bull Kumite and Final Round. Regardless of his past, Lee is still making an impact in the present at 32 years with no signs of slowing down.
Adam “Armada” Lindgren
Adam “Armada” Lindgren
Earlier, we mentioned Jason Zimmerman as one of the top-tier Super Smash Bros players in the world. As it currently turns out, he's ranked slightly below this man in terms of earnings – Adam “Armada” Lindgren. Hailing from Sweden and amassing a little over $230,000 in prize money, Lindgren has cut his teeth in Apex, EVO and Genesis, netting championship wins primarily in Super Smash Bros Melee. He first competed at age 10 in the Sweden Nintendo Championship and rose higher with each progressing year, eventually becoming the number 1 Peach player in the world. Currently signed to Alliance and only 24 years old, his place as one of the “Five Gods of Melee” still holds true.
Fans of fighting games can look forward to Red Bull Kumite, which takes place in Paris on May 29. Catch the tournament live on Red Bull TV here.
