Daigo Umehara isn't opposed to Street Fighter 6's current direction, but he's skeptical the game's balance will ever allow a definitive champion to emerge from the competitive scene.
The legendary fighting game veteran shared his perspective during Evo 2026, where MenaRD claimed another victory and cemented his status as the game's most dominant force. With two Capcom Cup titles and four Evo wins, MenaRD's resume is undeniable, yet Daigo sees a structural problem beneath the surface.
The core issue, according to Daigo, lies in what he describes as the game's "random" elements. Drive Rush, the mechanic that Western players have loudly criticized as overpowered, remains untouched by Capcom heading into Street Fighter 6's late Season 3 phase. Despite understanding the community's frustration, Daigo framed the randomness differently.
"The random elements in the gameplay that exist now are doing a good job of bringing in new players, so I'm not against that," he said. "I'm not at all dissatisfied with this idea that they aren't going to make major changes. The only thing is, with the way this game works, it's hard for an absolute best player to emerge."
The result, Daigo explained, is constant flux. Dominance comes and goes. MenaRD is performing exceptionally well, but Daigo doesn't believe he's yet demonstrated the kind of sustained, overwhelming superiority that would justify calling him the undisputed GOAT of the game. That's not a knock on Mena's skill, Daigo clarified, but rather a reflection of tournament structure.
Shorter Matches Mean Shorter Tenures
Daigo pinpointed the culprit: the Capcom Pro Tour's "First to Three" (Best of Five) format for Top 8 matches and "First to Two" (Best of Three) for earlier rounds. These are too brief to separate truly exceptional players from the rest of the field.
"Currently, tournaments are formatted in this 'First to Two' structure, which is very casual-leaning," Daigo explained. The problem is that best-of-three sets don't provide enough time for opponents to adjust and probe each other's gameplay. Even in ranked online matches, consistency under that format is nearly impossible.
For larger tournaments like Capcom Cup, Daigo advocated moving to "First to Three" minimum for preliminary matches, with top-tier competitions potentially stretching to "First to Five" or longer. Ideally, he suggested, events could expand to a week or ten days to accommodate deeper competition.
The practical constraints are obvious. Tournament organizers face time and venue limitations. But Daigo's underlying point stands: in a best-of-three world, the superior player doesn't always win.
MenaRD himself acknowledged the tension during a post-tournament interview. While he understands Daigo's perspective and personally craves longer sets where pure skill matters more, he balances that against the business reality. Shorter matches keep audiences engaged and make Street Fighter 6 accessible as a spectacle.
"As players, I feel like it's inevitable to feel that way," MenaRD said. "But if you think about the product itself and how boring it could become, I'm not sure if it's the right step."
Capcom has signaled it's content with the status quo. Street Fighter 6 continues to attract new players and maintain viewership. Whether the addition of Yasmine to the roster shifts the competitive landscape remains an open question, but for now, the path forward looks unchanged.
Author Emily Chen: "Daigo nailed it. Shorter brackets reward adaptability and hot hands over depth of knowledge, and it's hard to crown a GOAT when the tournament structure doesn't demand one."
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