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After qualifying for top Street Fighter V tournament the Capcom Cup, one of the game’s top players has announced he’s taking a break.
Daigo ‘The Beast’ Umehara is one of the top fighting game players in the world, with the Japanese player competing for nearly 20 years.
After finishing in first place at the Esports Festival in Hong Kong, he’s earnt himself a spot in the 32-man Capcom Cup.
As a result of this, Umehara has announced he’ll be stepping away from the Capcom Pro Tour events. “I would like not to interfere with other players’ chances at qualifying for Capcup.” he said in a tweet.
— Daigo Umehara (@daigothebeast) September 12, 2017
Umehara was due to compete in Sydney, but has pulled out.
From a business perspective it’s an interesting move. Potential fans and sponsors won’t be seeing Umehara compete for the next three months. Umehara is a legend in the fighting game community so it’s unlikely his stardom will wane, but
Strategically it’s a smart idea, because Umehara can now hold back his tactics or plans, retaining the element of surprise for the Capcom Cup.
However, three months in the Street Fighter V scene without Umehara’s presence will be noted, and it’s a shame to see the game being played without one of it’s leading lights.
