It has been several years since esports became widely recognized.
There has been an increasing number of cases where esports are utilized in various settings, including schools, local governments, healthy aging, and corporate activities.
Esports still hold immense potential as a lubricant for communication, easily playable with anyone, anytime, anywhere.
This time, we covered Taiyo Holdings Co., Ltd.'s in-house esports tournament, "SF6 TAIYO CUP 2024"!
Employees who won their regional qualifiers from all over Japan gathered in Tokyo for fierce battles!
Taiyo Holdings Sponsors the Street Fighter League
Taiyo Holdings has sponsored the Street Fighter League for four consecutive years, upholding the brand statement, "Happy People Create a Happy World."
They manufacture and sell "solder resist," an essential electronics material used in digital domains such as automobiles, smartphones, home gaming consoles, and peripherals.
As the company expanded its business, with the number of employees increasing by approximately 1.8 times in the past 10 years, an esports tournament was planned with the aim of unifying the company and vitalizing communication.
Greetings from Yukiko Yoshino, Executive Officer / Chief Branding Officer, Taiyo Holdings Co., Ltd.
Thank you all for coming today.
Taiyo Cup is organized with the desire to encourage interaction among employees who might not usually have the opportunity to connect, as our business expands and the number of group companies grows.
As you all know, our solder resist is used in many products, including gaming devices, and we feel a connection to esports in that it is also essential for them.
I believe esports will become a new dream-filled world, potentially even an Olympic sport, so I hope we can create a happy world together with the company.
I don't think there are many opportunities to play games in such a wonderful venue, so please enjoy yourselves with your teammates whom you've practiced with.
(Translated from Japanese)
"SF6 TAIYO CUP 2024" Finals Gathering Skilled Players from 5 Locations Nationwide
The "SF6 TAIYO CUP 2024" finals, held offline at a certain location in Tokyo, featured a total of nine teams clashing in a tournament: representative teams who won regional qualifiers held in five locations (Tokyo, Saitama, Osaka, Fukushima, and Fukuoka), plus two teams from Taiwan and South Korea!
Frieda (@frieda0914) and Producer Shuhei Matsumoto came to the venue as commentators.
Hajimemashite! (Saitama)
Saiga NAKAfter watching everyone practice, I'm really intimidated (laughs).
I hope we can get at least one win, or even better, win the whole thing!
Please root for us!
(Translated from Japanese)
Ohisashiburi Colleagues (Osaka)
Saiga NAKWe came from Osaka!
The three of us were already good friends, but this was a chance for everyone to practice... right? (laughs)
We'll do our best!
(Translated from Japanese)
Team Digi Club (Osaka)
Saiga NAKWe're very happy to be able to play games in such an amazing venue today.
We hope to enjoy ourselves and go home!
(Translated from Japanese)
Hamada and Minions (Tokyo)
Saiga NAKFor this day, I've honed Luke's fists and Honda's headbutts, so I'm going to knock out all the competitors and win!
Wish us luck!
(Translated from Japanese)
Team Dosanko (Tokyo)
Saiga NAKIncluding the qualifying rounds, our practice has been fun, so I hope we can also enjoy this final tournament.
Thank you.
(Translated from Japanese)
We Will Be Nihonmatsu's Representatives! (Fukushima)
Saiga NAKWe've practiced a lot for today, so first and foremost, we hope to show the results of our practice.
And most importantly, we hope to have fun and deepen our exchanges with everyone.
Thank you.
(Translated from Japanese)
Onbu ni Dakko (Fukuoka)
Saiga NAKAs our team name suggests, these two old men are "Onbu ni Dakko" (Piggybacking) on him (laughs).
We hope you'll watch their plays that will make you cover your eyes, and his plays that will open your eyes!
Thank you.
(Translated from Japanese)
Kyoukasuigetsu (Korea)
Saiga NAKThank you for having us today. It's an honor.
We practiced hard, so we hope to win at least one match.
Thank you!
(Translated from Japanese)
Taiwan No. 1 (Taiwan)
Saiga NAKWe've trained incredibly hard for this day!
We're going to fight all of you, so look forward to it today! (by local interpreter)
(Translated from Japanese)
From Beginners to Advanced Players, Everyone Had a Blast
The "SF6 TAIYO CUP 2024" finals involved local employees from South Korea and Taiwan.
The atmosphere at the venue warmed up with a surprisingly aggressive statement from Taiwan.
Matches were a single-game knockout format with three players per team.
Even with skill differences, upsets could easily happen.
"Street Fighter 6" allows even fighting game newcomers to enjoy intense matches, thanks to its modern controls that make it easy to unleash special moves.
And the battles featuring the serious players, with at least one on each team, are also incredibly exciting to watch.
While many players used controllers (pads), the formidable players who brought their own devices stood out.
According to Frieda, who watched the qualifying rounds, the "Hajimemashite!" team captain who brought a Razer Kitsune, "seems like they're around MR1700."
The Fukuoka representatives, "Onbu ni Dakko," had an unusual team balance that caused a stir at the venue.
After both the vanguard and middle players quickly lost, the team captain who appeared next turned the tables with three consecutive victories, bringing immense excitement to the venue!
Company Cafeteria Also Showed Support!
Taiyo Holdings also puts effort into its company cafeteria.
Handmade bread and cookies, created by the company cafeteria with full effort, were displayed at the venue.
The quality was so high that they'd be perfect for display at the "Street Fighter League: World Championship 2024," which will be held at Ryogoku Kokugikan in March 2025!
Given that they were displayed alongside acrylic stands, original Capcom Cafe merchandise, it seems there are some serious fans even within the company cafeteria!
Grand Prize: SFL Tickets and Photo Opportunity!
"SF6 TAIYO CUP 2024" quickly reached its final match.
The winning team was reportedly awarded tickets to watch the "Street Fighter League: Pro-JP 2024 Grand Finals," as well as the right to take photos with the winning team.
The priceless and luxurious prizes further motivated all the players.
The "Onbu ni Dakko" team captain fought valiantly!
They achieved a spectacular victory by racking up consecutive wins using Rashid!
The "Onbu ni Dakko" team captain delivered an impressive performance.
Their teammates, perhaps surprised by the result, looked up to the heavens.
The runner-up team, "Hamada and Minions," also received tickets to the "Street Fighter League: World Championship 2024."
Merchandise sales and activities will also be available at this event held at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
And the winner was "Onbu ni Dakko"!
They were awarded tickets to the "Street Fighter League: World Championship 2024" and "Street Fighter League: Pro-JP 2024 Grand Finals," as well as the right to take photos with the winning team!
Congratulations!
Saiga NAKActually, I'm retiring this year, but thanks to him, I made some great memories.
Thank you very much!
(Translated from Japanese)
Saiga NAKI was truly carried... he really piggybacked me (laughs).
I honestly thought I'd get at least one win, but he did great.
Thank you!
(Translated from Japanese)
Saiga NAKI'm glad we won.
I've been playing fighting games for a long time, and I'm so happy that so many different people are playing this game.
Thank you very much.
(Translated from Japanese)
It was as fun as last year, and I especially thought the range of participants was even wider this year.
I'm happy that everyone continues to play, and we'll keep working hard on updates so that you can continue to enjoy the game, so please keep supporting us!
Thank you for showing us such great matches today.
It would be nice if we could have a match against Capcom someday (laughs).
(Translated from Japanese)
Summary from Hitoshi Saito, Representative Director and Vice President / CEO of Electronics Company, Taiyo Holdings Co., Ltd.
First, congratulations on your victory.
Everyone, great job today. I could really feel the results of your practice.
And to Korea and Taiwan!
I think Korea has something really good, so please keep working hard and getting stronger.
I saw Taiwan doing nothing for over two hours and drinking beer (laughs).
Also, thank you to all the staff who planned and operated the event.
And thank you, Capcom, for your cooperation.
(Translated from Japanese)
I truly enjoyed your thrilling, dynamic, and exciting gameplay.
I've always liked combat sports, so I'm thinking of starting now!
I like Lily! (laughs)
I think it's wonderful that we can interact across borders through esports like this, so I'd like to continue doing so.
Let's realize a fun society with this sense of unity!
Thank you all very much today!
(Translated from Japanese)
With impressive live commentary, lavish prizes, and participation from across borders, the event, which felt more like a major tournament than an in-house competition, concluded with great excitement.
Esports can be enjoyed casually by anyone.
"Street Fighter 6," in particular, has drastically lowered the barrier to entry, not only with the flashiness and clarity of fighting games but also with the introduction of modern controls that allow for easy execution of special moves.
To all working professionals who read this, why not consider incorporating esports into your company's social gatherings and recreational activities?
This concludes the report on "SF6 TAIYO CUP 2024."
