The humble pop-off has marked many a victory, clutch combo, and pixel-health comeback within the combating recreation group. Some gamers would possibly run off stage, soar round, fly into the arms of associates, or throw a chair and switch their $565 prize cash right into a $3,000 mild restore invoice.
Very not often, although, we get to see the anti-pop-off. The devastation of hours spent within the lab misplaced to an unbroken seize or a blocked transfer. Being a mere two jabs away from victory, solely to have it ripped out of your arms by your opponent whiff punishing you. Most placed on a stony, courageous face, shake arms, and take care of the loss offstage. Most will not be Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves participant KojiKOG.
The Japanese combating recreation professional has been going viral for having the crashout of all time on the principle stage at EVO over the weekend, dropping his winners semifinal recreation towards fellow Japan professional GO1. It’s a wonderful 40-second descent into insanity as he clutches his head whereas writhing round in ache, whereas GO1 seems on in equal elements confusion and humour.
Well, I say crashout, however it’s largely a really playful (and dramatic) bit on KojiKOG’s half who, because the commentators level out, is well-known for being a vibrant character. For starters, this wasn’t even the tip of KojiKOG’s Fatal Fury journey. Most combating recreation tournaments run on a double elimination format, and his match towards GO1 was on the winners’ facet. His loss put him into the losers quarter-final—which he would go on to lose towards Korean participant POONGKO—that means he nonetheless hadn’t truly been knocked out of the match but.
It’s additionally a callback a complete decade within the making: KojiKOG and GO1 confronted off towards one another throughout an Aquapazza: Aquaplus Dream Match match at EVO in 2015. After the previous misplaced, he grasped at his head in ache whereas screaming (see the place that is going?) which turned generally known as the “leg cutting incident”, since you’ll suppose KojiKOG was being put via some medieval torture system moderately than struggling a loss in an extremely area of interest anime fighter.
It’s a enjoyable recurring joke, one which I do have the sensation GO1 would possibly have forgotten about for the primary few seconds of KojiKOG’s dramatic antics. He appears to clue in pretty shortly, although, along with his remaining playful shrug to the digicam going straight into my reactions folder for future meme fodder.
GO1 would go on to win your entire factor, securing $15,00 in prize cash. KojiKOG got here in fifth, netting himself $4,800 for the pleasure. He gave one remaining Munchesque pose in the course of the awards ceremony whereas receiving his medal, earlier than smiling and throwing up peace indicators to the digicam.
I’ll admit that Fatal Fury was the Top 8 I used to be least excited for, however it ended up being certainly one of my favorite brackets of the weekend. It’s moments like this that remind me why I really like combating recreation tournaments a lot, and truthfully? I’m simply glad to see an EVO clip making the rounds in even probably the most unlikely corners of the web.
The FGC is chock full of those foolish little recurring jokes and eccentric essential stage behaviour—Tekken participant Kkokkoma and his Hong Thai being certainly one of my favourites—and the extra individuals who get to see our strange group, the higher.
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