(Photo: Red Bull eSports)

Lee “Poongko” Chung Gon is undergoing a crisis of faith.

On Tuesday, April 26, the Street Fighter V pro took to Twitter to lament not having a character he loves as much as Seth in Street Fighter IV and his lackluster results, according to a translation provided by Ray Chun.

“I want to practice other characters instead of just Cammy,” Poongko said. “Knowing other characters will help if Cammy is good.”

He also said that participating in Street Fighter Crash, a Korean 3v3 team tournament, Final Round, and Red Bull Kumite has kept him from focusing on the game.

“I was not prepared for Red Bull Kumite and I want to develop myself before the next tournament I attend.”

Poongko also said he wants more characters because he has found it hard to find a character that fits him.

“I got lucky finding Seth in SFIV, and for now, I just want to learn this game and find my character.”

What this means in the short term for Poongko and Team Secret is unclear.

Poongko closed out 2015 on a high note by finishing in fourth place at Capcom Cup. But that was in Ultra Street Fighter IV and it already feels like a lifetime ago. These days, Poongko is just another competitive Street Fighter V mortal trying to find his way, and the pressure to succeed appears to be getting to him.



On April 11, Team Secret announced it was entering the competitive Street Fighter scene by signing Poongko as its first player. It was a curious move because it seemed a little early to sign an unproven Street Fighter V player, despite his pedigree in Ultra Street Fighter IV. Poongko was known for his flamboyant play style with characters like Seth and El Fuerte. He was also not above pumping up the crowd and himself by removing his shirt on live streams to “power up” after a loss.

Some players have gone their entire careers without a sponsor. As Street Fighter V increases in visibility and popularity, more sponsors and esports organizations want in on the action. Poongko was sponsored through crowdfunding by the r/Kappa subreddit for quite some time before signing a more traditional sponsorship deal with Team Secret. He’s a talented Street Fighter player, but he hasn’t gotten off to a stellar start in Street Fighter V.

Before signing with Team Secret, Poongko competed in the first two Capcom Pro Tour Premier Events, Final Round and NorCal Regionals. He finished in 25th place at Final Round out of the 1,024 players who competed in Street Fighter V, but he finished a disappointing 49th place at NorCal Regionals.

And it’s only gone downhill. Since signing with Team Secret, Poongko went 0-2 at Red Bull Kumite. He took a loss in a match against Brazil’s Keoma Pacheco and looked visibly upset. Between games, he took a moment to himself before slapping his face with both hands and signaling to start the second game. It didn’t matter — he lost that game, too.

Right now, it appears Poongko is lost in Street Fighter V.



Team Secret founder Clement Ivanov told Yahoo Esports he has been in touch with Poongko and supports his decisions.



“I asked Poongko about his plans and future. I got the feeling that he had a stable mindset on becoming the best player in the world and saw only positive attitude,” Ivanov said.

Ivanov, a three-time grand finalist in Dota 2’s The International, relates to the ups and downs of high level esports competition. He said he is willing to offer Poongko advice if he needs it, but the language barrier does present a challenge for casual conversation between the two. Ivanov also has no issue with Poongko taking time away for himself.

“If he thinks it’s best for him to take a break, we will discuss how long he would want. I wouldn’t want to shackle him into something he feels unhappy with. Hopefully, everything will be all right,” Ivanov said.

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