The current state of Street Fighter 6's gameplay, particularly its "random elements," is beneficial for attracting new players but poses a challenge in definitively crowning the game's greatest competitor, according to fighting game legend Daigo Umehara. While not dissatisfied with Capcom's intention to avoid major gameplay changes, Umehara believes the existing tournament structures hinder the emergence of an absolute champion.
MenaRD, fresh off his fourth Evo championship win at Evo 2026, is widely considered the most dominant Street Fighter 6 player. However, Umehara suggested that the "GOAT" status is not solely up to the player but also dependent on the "rules of the events."
Umehara pointed to the Capcom Pro Tour's match format as a key issue. Currently, Top 8 brackets utilize a "First to Three" (best of five) format, while earlier rounds employ a "First to Two" (best of three). Umehara, known for his own legendary "First to 10" sets, advocates for longer matches to allow players more time to adapt to their opponents. He proposed that preliminary rounds should adopt a "First to Five" format, ideally extending to "First to Seven" or longer for major events like the Capcom Cup. He acknowledged that time constraints for tournaments make such extended formats impractical, but ideally, he envisions events lasting a week or more, given their annual nature.
"The random elements in the gameplay that exist now are doing a good job of bringing in new players, so I’m not against that," Umehara stated. "The only thing is, I feel like, with the way this game works, it's hard for an absolute best player to emerge, so you end up with this sort of fluctuation in who's doing the best at any given time. I would like to see an absolute champion emerge, and I would like for the events to facilitate that."
MenaRD expressed a divided opinion on Umehara's remarks. While he agrees that the most skilled player should ideally dictate every championship outcome, he also recognizes that excessively long formats could alienate viewers. "I think for the product itself, if we want people to watch Street Fighter, we need to have a quick format that people can enjoy," MenaRD said. "But as a player, of course, I want not ‘First to Seven’ matches, but ‘First to 200.’"
Despite these discussions on competitive structure, Capcom currently views Street Fighter 6 as being in a solid state. The game's meta may continue to evolve with new character additions, and MenaRD's performance with Blanka remains a focal point for the remainder of the competitive season.