Daigo says Street Fighter 6 is keeping him “young” at 43 years old

We spoke with Daigo about his thoughts on the current state of Street Fighter 6, where he revealed his surprising inspiration for keeping his skills sharp as an OG player.

Daigo ‘The Beast’ Umehara is synonymous with Street Fighter. He’s been competing in the beloved fighting game series for over twenty years and has accrued an eye-popping number of wins, including six EVO championships.

We got the chance to sit down with Daigo at EVO 2024, where we asked him about his thoughts on the state of Street Fighter 6 now that Season 2 is well and truly settled in.

He believes the game is in a great spot at present, and surprised us by admitting that the surge of younger talent in the competitive scene keeps him on his toes and helps him feel “young,” in spite of his status as an OG player.

“The game has been in great shape and a lot of fun all the way since launch,” he told us. “I expect it will only get even better from here with each update. …Even in Season 1, the game was so well balanced it was hard to believe it had just come out, but it’s even better in Season 2. It’s incredible that they’ve achieved such a degree of balance in only the second year.”

“I went pro during the Street Fighter IV era, and compared to back then, I feel like the current player base has a lot of younger players, and the skill level is much higher on the whole. Particularly with SF6, we’re seeing really remarkable performances from a younger crowd.”

He’s right; ever since the launch of Street Fighter V back in 2016, younger players like Punk, Big Bird, and AngryBird have consistently dominated the competition. And at EVO 2024, 17-year-old Endingwalker dropped jaws across the community when he fought his way into the Top 6, where he finished in 3rd place in his first-ever appearance at EVO Las Vegas.

It’s players like these that Daigo’s keeping an eye on. His own run at EVO saw him finish in 33rd place out of 5,279 competitors, getting knocked into Loser’s side by First Attack founder ‘Mono’ and finally eliminated by ‘Pugera.’ We asked him about his thoughts on his performance — and he says the younger fighters in the scene are keeping him humble.

“This isn’t limited to EVO, but I’ve adopted a mindset of trying to learn from all those younger players I mentioned,” he answered. “I try not to let myself get complacent or conceited, and this has kept the game feeling fresh every day and made me feel younger, even though I’m 43 now.”

Daigo’s career speaks for itself. As one of Japan’s very first esports pros, he’s cemented himself as a major figure in competitive gaming over the years, and boasts a healthy online following of fans who tune in to watch him stream.

It’s not too much of a stretch to wonder what life will be like for Daigo once he finally decides to retire. Given his massive following across social media and his many brand deals with the likes of Red Bull, he’s got a financial safety net in the event he steps away from the competition… but he’s hellbent on staying in the game as long as he can.

“If I ever stop competing, creating content might become a way to make a living,” he admitted. “That’s one possibility, but I would like to remain a competitor as long as I can, whether it’s another year or another day. “

With Street Fighter 6 entering its second season, there’s no denying that the competition has reached new heights. Punk’s emotional victory over Big Bird at EVO 2024 is a testament to this fact, as well as to Daigo’s statement that younger pros are a force to be reckoned with.

Although 38-year-old Momochi and 39-year-old Nemo made their way into the Top 6, it was the youngest of the bunch who came out on top, and even Daigo can’t deny that they’re cementing themselves as the new pillars of Street Fighter’s competitive scene.