Daigo Umehara Winner of NorCal Regional © Alex Rubens/Red Bull eSports

The world’s most renowned Street Fighter player is moving on to new ventures. Mad Catz’ Daigo “The Beast” Umehara is leaving Ultra Street Fighter IV behind to take on a new challenge in Street Fighter V. With a new generation of Street Fighter, comes a new perspective on the fighting game community. In order for the FGC to grow and the international scenes to be more competitive, Daigo must evolve. Beginning Saturday, February 20 at 6:00 pm PT, Daigo Umehara will be live streaming Street Fighter V, showcasing his knowledge and wisdom gained over years of competing in multiple generations of Street Fighter.

Daigo was gracious enough to answer several questions about his goals for the future, why the FGC is so important to him, and how he can give back to the community that molded him into the man he is today.

RedBull.com: You’ve been hesitant to get involved with live streaming and using Twitter. What changed your mind about becoming more involved with the technology serving the fighting game community in recent years?

Daigo “The Beast” Umehara: While the fighting game community (FGC) has grown year by year, one problem has remained unsolved. The top player roster hasn’t changed much. This is not only true for Japan but also seen at the world level. One of the biggest causes is the fact that most players can’t even access useful information, and thus, they can’t have a quality match in order to improve their skillsets. This is a threat to the community. It can undo the progress it’s made so far. In order to stop that, we must minimize the information divide and give new players a chance. In other words, we all share the skills, knowledge, and wisdom to help others improve.

For that, I believe practical streaming is most effective. It may appear to most people that if the top players, including myself, share their knowledge, it would presumably create a disadvantage but it is the only way to root out the cause. I am excited to succeed in this endeavor with my friends who share the same point of view.

I understand you want to help close the skill gap between US and Japanese players in Street Fighter. I know you’ve written some books that I really wish could be translated for the West. How do you think your personal and fighting game philosophies can achieve this goal?

I would love to share the method and process of how I deal with problems and improve my skills through streaming, especially while I clear problems in Street Fighter V. By doing so, I would be happy to convey the message that no one needs to give up when they encounter a problem. Fortunately, I have many friends who support my views. Together, I want to show the people how we can succeed and share the joy of that process.

When you compete, how do you analyze and break down challenges or player habits so that you can use your optimal strategy in a match?

I don’t really pay attention to player’s habits, but I read his strategy. A strategy dictates how he behaves. So by grasping his strategy, I can naturally read his action.

Daigo Umehara posing with a fan at Evo 2015 © Michael Martin

I think most people assumed you would go on to play Street Fighter V. How confident do you feel moving on to Street Fighter V and preparing for events like Evo?

Showcasing my training and strategies on my stream will be like giving others a better chance to beat me. The odds of me losing may be increased. I may be unwise. But I am still determined to win and show that I am the pro. I make a progress everyday at my own pace, even if it’s a little at a time. That is how I live each moment. The bigger a challenge may be, the more exciting my life becomes.

Times are changing. Arcades have mostly disappeared in the West. In my recent trip to Japan, arcades were empty. Street Fighter V (as far as we know) won’t be in arcades, a first for the series. How does this affect the fighting game community in Japan? What can you do to as one of the most notable members of that community to support it?

I was introduced to video games at the height of the arcade era. I grew up in the arcades. As a result, I believe an Internet match can be less fulfilling. At an arcade, you can see your opponent’s face and feel his presence. It is a very special space. However, an Internet match is very effective and efficient for practicing and getting to a certain level, and as a pro, I cherish that.

Fighting games are still an important communication tool. It is my desire to introduce the game through streaming to more people, and moreover, to share the special connections similar to those you can gain through playing at the arcades.

Speaking of supporting the community, you generously donated your winnings from Capcom Cup to the EVO Scholarship Fund. Can you talk about what went into your decision to making that donation?

I personally want more pro gamers to earn more money. So I don’t want them to make any mistake of donating their winning prizes like I did (laughing).

All joking aside, there are personal reasons why I donated the money. First off, Street Fighter IV provided me a chance to get back into gaming, and in a way, it gave me a chance to become a pro. I feel so lucky through all these years of playing Street Fighter IV, I was able to have so much community support on my side. That was an invaluable experience for me. So I was determined to give back to the community at the last tournament to conclude the Street Fighter IV era.

On the day before the finals, the thought of donating the winnings in order to give back to the FGC came to me. And if I was to donate, it had to be for EVO Scholarship. Needless to say, EVO is also very, very special for me. I can say that I would not be here without EVO today. I could only think of donating my winnings to give back to those two very important things to me, the FGC and EVO. I am quite satisfied to have been able realize my goal.

You’ve written books. You’re play contributed to young players entering the scene over the years. You’ve been featured in manga. But I’m curious, how does it feel to be immortalized in a statue with the characters you’ve played (Ryu/Evil Ryu)?

Hmm. Happy? For sure, humbled. But certainly, I’m grateful. It helped me renew my determination to work harder so I’m thankful for that.

Thank you!