An interview with Yamaguchi (@yamae1128), who won the Street Fighter 6 main tournament at EVO Japan 2026, a fighting game festival held at Tokyo Big Sight from Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3, 2026!
An Interview with Yamaguchi, the Winner of the Street Fighter 6 Tournament!
― Please tell us how you feel right now after winning.
Yamaguchi: It still feels like a dream... The reality of winning hasn't sunk in at all (laughs).
― What is your usual win rate against your teammate Higuchi, whom you fought in the Winners Finals?
Yamaguchi: I haven't played against Higuchi (@higuchi010914) recently, but the last time we played, I used Viper and suffered a crushing defeat.
― Were you good at the Cammy matchup?
Yamaguchi: If I can read their style, I'm pretty good at it, but on the other hand, if I don't know the information, I feel like I get exhausted.
This time, I knew it was Punk (@PunkDaGod), and I usually watch his videos a bit, so I think that was a part that came alive in the finals.
― How do you feel about the significance of being able to win on such a big stage?
Yamaguchi: For better or worse, I feel like the way people around me look at me is going to change.
Of course I'm happy, but competitive matches and tournaments will still continue, so I'm also worried about whether I can get stronger and keep winning.
That being said, since this is my first time winning, it gave me a lot of confidence, and a desire to do my best again has sprouted within me.
― What do you think is the power and charm of esports that makes people so passionate?
Yamaguchi: The game itself is of course interesting, but including the people playing there, the spectators, and the staff members like this, I think the charm of the fighting game community itself is incredibly high, which is exactly why this many people can gather and get passionate.
I also got into it because of the people, and I am someone who started fighting games through the community, so I think that is a big factor.
― In the winner's interview, you also expressed gratitude toward your opponent. What kind of emotions sprout toward your opponent during a match?
Yamaguchi: It's a feeling of exposing my competitive spirit, like "I won't lose!" (laughs).
But once it's over, we practice together as players, and the distance between players is very close, so I perceive everyone as comrades.
― It seemed like Higuchi, whom you have entered tournaments with until now, was leading the way in a sense.
Yamaguchi: To be honest, results also depend on luck to some extent.
That's something players know better than anyone else, and since I think so too, I don't feel like I've overtaken him at all.
In fact, even in daily practice, we completely win and lose, or rather, I have a losing record against him, so I think I've gotten a little closer.
― How do you balance gaming and your studies?
Yamaguchi: Actually, there are parts I'm struggling with, which is exactly why I took a leave of absence this year and am just focusing on gaming for now.
But regarding my studies, I like university coursework, and I often get involved in research and things like that.
They are in a good relationship with each other, and because there are points I notice, whether it's my way of thinking, my way of thinking about the game, or my way of thinking when facing a match, I think they have a good influence on each other.
I really want to do both.
― Did you have confidence or trust that you could make it through with Mai?
Yamaguchi: This time, as a result, it ended up being just Mai, but actually, depending on the opponent, I was thinking about bringing out a different character.
For example, in the match against NuckleDu (@NuckleDuDang), if I couldn't fight well at all, I think I would have switched to Viper.
I don't really intend to stick to one character, and I want to bring out completely different characters as well.
