Everything you need to know about the Red Bull Kumite 2023
Red Bull Kumite 2023 this time it’s fighting in Street Fighter 6. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s spectacle.
Red Bull Kumite ist zurück und dieses Mal wird in Street Fighter 6 gekämpft. Hier erfährst du alles, was du über das diesjährige Spektakel wissen musst.
What is Red Bull Kumite?
An esports tournament with more momentum than Zangief’s Spinning Piledriver, the Red Bull Kumite has become one of the most important events on the Street Fighter and Fighting Game Community (FGC) calendar. Past events, held around the globe, have brought together some of the world’s best fighters in spectacular arenas from which only one can emerge victorious.
There will be battles between world champions, as well as former and current EVO winners, as well as former Red Bull Kumite winners and of course rising stars looking to make their names.
What happened at Red Bull Kumite 2021?
At the last event two years ago, fans were treated to two editions on either side of the Atlantic. The first took place at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in London, UK. The tournament, played on Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, saw Frenchman Nathan “Mister Crimson” Massol take first prize, while Derek “iDom” Ruffin took second place.
The second Street Fighter V competition was held in Las Vegas, USA. iDom fought for first place again, but was eliminated in the semifinals by Britain’s Benjamin “Problem X” Simon. The Brit then took on Sim “NL” Gun, defeating the South Korean player to secure first place.
Where will Red Bull Kumite 2023 take place?
This year, Red Bull Kumite will be held in South Africa in the administrative capital of Pretoria. Since 2015, the event has hosted some of the most intense battles in esports history, with players from around the world showing off their skills.
Previous events have taken place in London, Tokyo, Paris and Las Vegas, but this year Red Bull Kumite reaches a new continent as the battling players compete at the University of Pretoria’s Rembrandt Hall.
How can I watch the Red Bull Kumite 2023?
Tickets to be there live are available here . The event will be broadcast live on the official Red Bull Twitch and YouTube channels.
What is the schedule for Red Bull Kumite?
The schedule for the Last Chance Qualifiers on Saturday July 1st is as follows:
| CEST (Central Europe Summer Time) | JST (Japan Standard Time) | JST (Japan Standard Time) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start of the live stream | 10:45 | 17:45 | 04:45 |
| Pools A1 to A4 | 11:00 a.m | 18:00 | 05:00 |
| Pools B1 to B4 | 13:00 | 20:00 | 07:00 |
| top 24 | 15:00 | 22:00 | 09:00 |
| top 16 | 17:00 | 0:00 J+1 | 11:00 a.m |
| Team Battle Showcase | 23:00 | 6:00 J+1 | 17:00 |
The schedule for the main event on Sunday, July 2nd is as follows:
| CEST (Central Europe Summer Time) | JST (Japan Standard Time) | EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| pre show | 1:30 p.m | 20:30 | 7:30 |
| Draw Ceremony | 14:00 | 21:00 | 8:00 a.m |
| Round 1 matches | 14:30 | 21:30 | 8:30 |
| Combo contest | 18:00 | 1:00 J+1 | 12:00 p.m |
| top 8 | 18:30 | 1:30 J+1 | 12:30 p.m |
| Final | 21:30 | 3:30 J+1 | 15:30 |
Who takes part in the Red Bull Kumite?
The event pits 16 of the best Street Fighter players from around the world against each other. Below is the full list of the 15 confirmed participants.
Hajime ‘Tokido’ Taniguchi (Japan)
Tokido is ready for battleTokido ist bereit für den Kampf
© Stephanie Lindgren/Red Bull Content Pool© Stephanie Lindgren/Red Bull Content Pool
Tokido is a three-time EVO champion. The fighting pro has won titles in Capcom vs. SNK 2, Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Street Fighter V.
Ricardo ‘Mono’ Roman (Puerto Rico)
Representing Puerto Rico, Mono is one of the hottest talents to come out of the Caribbean island. Earlier this year, he took first place in DreamHack San Diego’s Street Fighter V tournament.
Justin Wong (USA)
Justin Wong holds the record for most EVO titles by a single player, winning nine tournaments between 2001 and 2014.
Jabhi ‘Jabhim’ Mabuza (South Africa)
Goliath Gaming’s Jabhim is a rising South African esports star who recently took first place at Red Bull Hit the Streets 2022.
Nathan ‘Mister Crimson’ Massol (France)
Team Falcons’ Mister Crimson recently proved himself at Headstomper 2023, where he took first place in the Street Fighter 6 tournament. He is also known for his skills in Samurai Showdown, Dragon Ball FighterZ and Guilty Gear.
Derek ‘iDom’ Ruffin (US)
iDom is one of the best Street Fighter pros to emerge from the US in recent years and is a 2019 Capcom Cup winner.
Sim ‘NL’ Gun (South Korea)
The South Korean star started out with The King of Fighters before moving to Street Fighter V where he won the Saigon Cup and Combo Breaker with Cammy.
Tsunehiro ‘Gachikun’ Kanamori (Japan)
Gachikun happily participatesGachikun nimmt mit Freude teil
© Jason Halayko/Red Bull Content Pool© Jason Halayko/Red Bull Content Pool
Masato ‘Bonchan’ Takahashi (Japan)
Bonchan has been dubbed the “King of Sagat Players” in Japan for his skill in Street Fighter IV. He won the Red Bull Kumite in 2015 and defeated Big Bird to win his first EVO Championship title in 2019.
Adel ‘Big Bird’ Anouche (UAE)
Algerian-born player Big Bird is known for his Ken game and most recently won the Slash N Dash Emirates Showdown.
Benjamin ‘Problem X’ Simon (UK)
Problem X has been active in the Street Fighter scene since 2011 and became the 2018 EVO Champion. As the current Red Bull Kumite Champion, he will attempt to defend his title.
Leevy ‘Oil King’ Lin (Taiwan)
Oil King is ready for Street Fighter 6Oil King ist bereit für Street Fighter 6
© Marv Watson/Red Bull Content Pool© Marv Watson/Red Bull Content Pool
Oil King won last year’s EVO tournament, adding another title to his stellar Street Fighter career
Zhen Kuang (China)
Zhen has made a name for himself in Street Fighter and BlazBlue, and took second place in Capcom Cup IX earlier this year.
William ‘Leffen’ Hjelte (Sweden)
Best known as a professional Super Smash Bros. player, Leffen has now turned his attention to Street Fighter and is entering his first SF tournament, Red Bull Kumite 2023.
Arslan ‘Arslan Ash’ Siddique(Pakistan)
Three-time EVO Champion Arslan Ash is considered one of the best Tekken players in the world and is said to have brought the Pakistani fighting game community into the mainstream – will he be able to bring his talents to Street Fighter 6?
