"SF6 is my main interest in 2023": EVO World Champion Tokido talks Street Fighter 6, his career as 'Murderface,' and more (Exclusive)

sportskeeda.com:

Hajime "Tokido" is one of the most well-recognized names in the world of fighting game players. Hailed as one of the 'five gods of fighting games,' he's dominated some of the biggest tournaments globally for nearly a decade. Hajime is also known for his skill across various games, particularly his skill at playing Akuma.

This was an interview I was very excited about. Akuma was always one of my go-to individuals as a casual fighting-game player. I constantly watched his gameplay footage, and it always looked so easy. I recently spoke to him about his career, various nicknames, and what he's looking forward to in 2023.

Tokido: Hello, my name is Hajime Taniguchi. FGC (Fighting Game Community) people know me better than Tokido. I'm 37 years old and have played fighting games professionally for over 10 years.

Tokido: It is the FGC. I know a lot of skilled players who are also popular in the community. Playing against them has been stimulating, so I can't help but compete with them. It's a lot of fun.

Tokido: First, I don't play Akuma anymore. Akuma has low health, so the player has to play the character with near-perfect precision. I like to play Akuma because I can win if I improve my strategy and technique with him.

Tokido: I quit playing multiple titles when I felt I couldn't win this way anymore. A long time ago, not as many played fighting games seriously, so I could win with shallow knowledge of the games. However, fighting games have become esports, so the player level has become very high. I don't think I can win multiple titles now.

Tokido: At that time, I was still confident I could win the tournament in even the loser's bracket because I had done enough preparation in terms of my strategy and technique. It helped that