A freelance games journalist based in the Philippines, Cedric has written on all aspects of the esports industry, from the business side to the craziness happening in the FGC scene. He has written guides, op-eds, and essays for Dot Esports, IGN, and Gaming News.
Olivia Richman is a seasoned esports journalist who has worked with Inven Global, Esports Illustrated, Esports.gg, and more. As an editor and writer at Esports Insider, she loves telling unique esports stories, especially within the FGC. When not working and gaming, Olivia loves collecting Kirby plush, eating sushi, and driving her cars at the track.
Evo Vegas happened just this week, and while the tournament was a great success with lots of announcements benefiting the fighting game community, it also highlighted a growing pain point for the scene. Let’s start with a positive! Evo intends to support locals around the world, essentially cultivating a stronger fighting game esports scene.
This is something I’ve mentioned in my piece, “The FGC must transition out of grassroots if it wants to survive ,” but there I was talking about Capcom and other developers providing the budget. With Evo handling that aspect, I think the FGC will slowly start to grow.
Now, for the negative, a somewhat cringeworthy moment happened during the tournament that divided the FGC and might even spell the beginning of the FGC’s nightmare. Yup, I’m talking about the popular streamer Ludwig Ahgren ’s infamous “I like Street Fighter, but I also like viewers” moment.
Before I start, let’s get a few things out of the way. Yes, Ludwig’s decision to hide his actual character pick in the Ludwig vs Tyler1 Street Fighter 6 event is an FGC move. He’s been in the community for quite some time now, being a Super Smash Bros. Mele e player. However, this doesn’t excuse his behavior at an event meant to celebrate fighting games.
The situation is perfectly encapsulated in this short clip retweeted by Adel “Big Bird” Anouche:
Ngl this is not a good look https://t.co/dNVwzyXoXP
In the video, Ludwig just convincingly won the showmatch and then said, “I like Street Fighter, but I also like viewers.” This is the statement that divided the FGC, with some finding it humorous while others found it offensive.
To give a little bit of context, Ludwig is talking about viewership in fighting games. It’s no secret that fighting games don’t have the audience that other genres, such as first-person shooters and battle royale games, have. Some people are defending this statement, asking, “If it’s true, then what’s the problem?”
However, Big Bird put it perfectly in a reply to one of those comments:
Ehh time and place for everything If I get invited to someone’s home and get offered food, I’m not gonna say the food is shit even if it is 🤣 Either way, it doesn’t really affect me nor am I offended by it, just think it has negative effects
He’s very much correct that there is a time and place for everything. It’s all about respect. He’s literally in what some people consider the “Cathedral of Fighting Games.” It’s already a known truth, and he doesn’t need to put it on blast. It’s also just a touchy subject overall. Victor “Punk” Woodley , a top Street Fighter 6 player, also agreed with Big Bird on this subject.
But I think what people are missing is the fact that this came from a showmatch that not a lot of people in the FGC are really interested in. In fact, there was backlash regarding the…