The fighting game community (FGC) is a group of competitive gamers who play fighting games. It also describes the group of fans and players who support a specific game. The FGC began with small groups in arcades during the 1990s and grew to include events in different regions during the 2000s. In the 2010s, competitions became international because of the rise of esports, online gaming, and live streaming platforms like Twitch.
History
The game Street Fighter II: The World Warrior was very popular when it was released in 1991. It is considered one of the most important video games ever made. It helped make fighting games more popular and introduced features that are now common in the genre, such as special moves called combos and the ability to choose different characters. Most importantly, it allowed players to compete directly against each other in the game, unlike earlier games that focused on comparing high scores.
During the mid-1990s, groups of players who competed in Street Fighter II formed in cities across the United States. These groups met in places like Chinatown Fair in New York City, Super Just Games in Chicago, and Golfland arcades in California. Players also began sharing strategies online through message boards. In 1996, the first nationwide Street Fighter II tournament called B3: Battle by the Bay was held. This event aimed to settle debates about who was the best player in the country and attracted players from other countries. In London, England, many arcades had Street Fighter II, including places like Hamleys and Casino Leisure Centre. A special version of Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers was released in 1994, and the first official tournament for this game took place at Trocadero.
In early 2000, a website called Shoryuken.com was created. The name came from a famous move in Street Fighter. The site became a main place for fighting game players to discuss strategies and organize tournaments. One of the biggest tournaments today is called the Evolution Championship Series (Evo). The rise of competitive video games in the 2000s became known as "esports." In 2004, fighting games like Mortal Kombat: Deception, Dead or Alive Ultimate, and the Xbox version of Street Fighter Anniversary Collection became the first to offer online multiplayer, helping the community grow.
During the 2000s, Capcom, the company behind Street Fighter, lost popularity because it stopped making new fighting games. Other games like Tekken, Soulcalibur, and Virtua Fighter became more popular. In 2007, Dead or Alive 4 became the first fighting game to have a televised esports scene. It was broadcast by DirecTV and other companies. After almost 8 years since the release of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Capcom announced Street Fighter IV. This game was highly praised and helped revive interest in fighting games. It brought many new players into the community and introduced famous players like SonicFox and GamerBee.
After the success of Street Fighter IV, more fighting games were developed, and tournaments grew in size. Events like Evo are now live-streamed on platforms like Twitch, allowing many people to watch. Some companies, such as Evil Geniuses and Mad Catz, sponsor players and pay them for advertisements.
Despite the rise of other esports games, many fighting game players do not consider their community to be part of esports. The fighting game community is a small part of the overall video game market. Games like Tekken 7 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate have sold over 10 million copies, but the largest fighting game tournaments have only 3,000 to 7,000 competitors. However, events like Evo can have up to 400,000 viewers, and some events have reached over 3.7 million unique viewers.
In recent years, the fighting game community faced challenges, including legal issues involving sexual assault and harassment allegations against some organizers and players. In 2020, a group called the Japan Fighting Game Publishers Roundtable was formed. Representatives from companies like Capcom and Bandai Namco discussed the future of fighting games. More companies joined in 2021 and 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused many in-person tournaments to stop, but players used online platforms to stay connected. After the pandemic, fighting game tournaments grew larger. In 2023, Evo had 7,061 players for its Street Fighter 6 event, making it one of the largest video game tournaments ever. In 2024, Evo had the most players of any esports event in history, with 9,221 competitors across all games.
Culture
In a 2014 article about the racial diversity in fighting game competitions, such as the Evo tournament series, Mitch Bowman of Polygon wrote that the fighting game community (FGC) developed one of the most racially diverse groups in gaming. The FGC is also known for being more accepting of LGBTQ+ players compared to other gaming groups. Top players like Dominique "SonicFox" McLean and Sasha "Magi" Sullivan have openly shared their experiences related to gender identity.
Several memorable events in the FGC have become well-known outside the community. One famous moment, called Evo Moment 37, happened in 2004 during a Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike match between Daigo "The Beast" Umehara and Justin Wong. During the match, Daigo blocked every attack from Chun-Li while his health was nearly gone, then defeated Justin Wong with a counterattack. This moment was called "esports' most thrilling moment" by Rolling Stone and ranked as the 6th best moment in pro-gaming history by Kotaku in 2011. Justin Wong has often responded to online references to the moment, joking about his loss while expressing appreciation for how it inspired others to join fighting games.
Exciting moments in the FGC are often highlighted by energetic and fast-paced commentary. A famous example is the "Wombo combo," a clip from a Super Smash Bros. Melee match where commentators shouted phrases like "Wombo combo" and "Where you at?" during a winning team combo. These phrases became popular in parody videos and are sometimes used to describe other impressive team plays in the game.
Another notable moment occurred during a Guilty Gear Xrd tournament at Evo 2015. A player named Woshige celebrated too early after winning a match against Ogawa. Commentators shouted "Woshige, not like this!" and "What are you standing up for?" before Woshige returned to his seat, and Ogawa completed a winning combo. This clip was shown on ESPN and is sometimes referenced when players celebrate too soon in the FGC.
Most top players and commentators in the FGC are men, leading to discussions about how the community may make it harder for women to participate. Some events, like EVO 2010's women's invitational for Street Fighter IV, were created to provide a more welcoming environment for female players.
A well-known incident of sexual harassment happened in 2012 at a U.S. tournament. A player named Aris Bakhtanians made hurtful comments about a female competitor's bra size and other sexist remarks, causing her to leave the event. Later, during an interview with Twitch, Bakhtanians said, "Sexual harassment is part of a culture, and if you remove that from the fighting game community, it's not the fighting game community." He later apologized, stating, "I felt that the culture of a scene I have been a part of for over 15 years was being threatened."
Tournaments
Many tournaments, both online and in person, take place around the world each year. These events can have as few as ten participants or as many as more than 10,000 players. The size of a tournament depends on factors such as where it is held, the cost to enter, the amount of prize money, and the types of games offered. Most tournaments are organized by local community groups, though more are now supported by companies such as Capcom, Twitch, and Red Bull.
Examples of large fighting game tournaments and tournament series include: