Combo Breaker 2026 was one of the biggest non-EVO fighting game tournaments of the year, with different nationalities flying in to experience the event. But behind its massive success, there lies a problem in the community that, while reduced, persists in the darkest corners of the FGC.

Yup. I’m talking about harassment of women in the FGC.

This has been a hot topic in the FGC for quite some time now, and for good reason. What kind of community lets things like this happen and turns a blind eye to it? The pandemic lockdown was the time when the community started cracking down on sexual harassment cases. While a lot of them have already been dealt with post-COVID, thanks to the women who had the courage to talk about their experience, it doesn’t mean that the whole thing is gone.

Cases like these still exist, and I believe it’s time the community starts cracking down on them again.

In a tweet posted on May 23rd, Jax shared her experience with someone who tried to take an upskirt picture of her while cosplaying as Emilie De Rochefort, also known as Lili, from Tekken.

I reached out to Jax to ask for more details regarding the incident, and she mentioned that it happened while she was waiting for her 2XKO set. While standing there, she decided to fix her cosplay, and that’s when the culprit struck.

Luckily, she had a friend with her who stepped in the way, essentially blocking the guy, who then proceeded to run away. Unfortunately, neither she nor her friend had any idea who the culprit was.

Miranda “Super_Yan” Pakozdi, another woman who attended the event, also experienced harassment, but this time, from the staff. According to a tweet she posted, she was handed a spectator badge because she’s a woman, even though she said she’s a competitor and has been one for almost two decades.

In a subsequent tweet, she mentioned that this had happened to her multiple times and that she made the post because it was so frequent. While she understands that some of the people working in tournaments, especially in major ones, are volunteers, it doesn’t change the fact that these kinds of situations made her uncomfortable.

According to her: “Years of this and every time it’s a message that I don’t look like a fighting game player, or I don’t belong here, or I’m not to be taken seriously. It doesn’t feel good!”

During our interview regarding the Combo Breaker 2026 incident, I asked Jax whether she had experienced harassment in the past five years at locals or tournaments. She mentioned that there hasn’t been any blatant harassment post-COVID. She added that nothing outwardly crazy or harmful had happened to her recently until the Combo Breaker 2026.

I also asked her about the worst case of gender discrimination she experienced/saw, and that’s where she mentioned that it wasn’t a good time to be a woman in the scene pre-2020.

She said it was back when she played Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and guys would “accidentally” kick her chair as they walked past her when their friend was down a stock. She also mentioned that there were times when she had to purposefully lose her sets because she was genuinely scared of some male competitors’ reactions if she had actually won.

Unfortunately, during that time, her experience wasn’t an isolated one. In 2020, the Super Smash Bros. community experienced a #MeToo movement in which victims of abuse stepped forward to expose the bad apples. Jax was one of the women who stepped up and exposed her abuser. Outside of the Super Smash Bros. community, the greater FGC also suffered a huge blow when Evo 2020 was canceled due to sexual misconduct allegations against its co-founder, Joey “MrWizard” Cuellar, surfacing.

Discrimination like this doesn’t appear out of nowhere. There should be some kind of culture that has clung to the community’s roots and has been normalized to the point that people just don’t think of it as offensive, especially to newcomers to the scene. 

An article by Ars Technica published in 2012, named “Is pervasive sexism holding the professional fighting game community back?” gives us a peek at what the culture was like back then. The article discusses Aris Bakhtanians, a competitor-turned-commentator-turned-streamer in the fighting game community.

During a Cross Assault event, a reality show-style competition where two teams fight each other in Street Fighter x Tekken matches, Bakhtanians made inappropriate remarks regarding Pakozdi’s bra size and even said that he had a desire to spy on her in the women’s bathroom, eventually leading to her being creeped out about the interaction.

Pakozdi confronted him about his behavior, but she said it was obvious that the Bakhtanians didn’t really care. 

When asked about his inappropriate comments, Bakhtanians mentioned that “those are jokes and if you were really a member of the fighting game community, you would know that,” and that “this is a community that’s, you know, 15 or 20 years old, and the sexual harassment is part of a culture, and if you remove that from the fighting game community, it’s not the fighting game community — it’s StarCraft.”

[Editor’s Note: I’m not surprised to hear rhetoric like this. The FGC prides itself on being raw, authentic, rough around the edges, and real. It’s not a polished scene with over-the-top productions. It comes from dudes grinding in grungy arcades, not caring they are ‘nerds.’ But let’s not bring the sexism aspect of that nostalgia with us.]

However, Bakhtanians’ tone changed following the backlash. In a statement he provided to Ars Technica, he apologized for what he said: “I unfortunately used extreme examples in the heat of the moment and feel that my statements don’t actually communicate how I feel.”

Even though Bahktanians eventually apologized, this was a huge tell about the culture back then. The Ars Technica article even talked about a girlfriend of Jared Rea, a Twitch Community Manager at the time, leaving the venue of a fighting game tournament after hearing the audience hurl misogynistic or homophobic comments inside the tournament hall.

Jax also weighed in on this when I asked her why she thinks discrimination against women is still a thing in the FGC. She mentioned that she believes it’s from older men who miss the “good old days” when gaming was still a boy’s club. She also adds that younger men also fall for that toxic nostalgia, which only adds to the problem.

Jax also said that instead of reflecting and growing from their actions, some men simply channel their anger into disliking the women who have entered their “club.”

“Instead of acknowledging that women joining the scene has enabled growth and accountability and safeguards that are inherently good things for the gaming community/industry as a whole, they just think ‘Well, back in my day none of this existed and wouldn’t be relevant if things had just stayed the same.’” Jax added.

I think everyone (normal) in the community agrees with me that no woman should be harassed, whether physically or sexually, in the FGC. However, it still happens. Sure, people can say that these were freak accidents or isolated incidents, but that’s just washing your hands of the fact that they still happened. We, as a community, should be ashamed when things like these take place at our events.

With that being said, what needs to change? Pakozdi mentioned in her tweets that safety should be the priority. She adds that people should stop assuming that women only attend fighting game tournaments as an extension of their partners or men in general. Things like that can go a long way and make them feel like they belong.

Jax, on the other hand, went after those who enabled the harassment in the first place. She said that men should hold their friends accountable for sh*tty behavior and eliminate the “boy’s club mentality.”

She said: “No more ‘it’s just a joke, no more ‘that’s just how he is’ or ‘well, he’s my boy.’ Do not excuse or enable poor behavior just because it’s your friend or someone who happens to be good at a game.”

With all of this said, I still asked Jax if she thinks women should attend fighting game tournaments, and her answer is a resounding yes. She said that these are such fun experiences that she only found in the FGC, and that “the good heavily outweighs the bad in my opinion.”

She also added: “You meet new people from all over, you can find artists and small businesses to support, you get invaluable info and practice at games, you can try so many new games. I could go on for so long about all the wonderful things about FGC majors, each one I’ve personally attended has been an overwhelmingly positive experience.”

However, she also said that women should go with friends and people they trust.

“It’s no different from being at a con or concert or any other large-scale event in that regard,” Jax told Esports Insider. “So many situations that absolutely could have gone worse were diffused by having friends around to step in or have my back or work through after the fact.”

Finally, I asked Jax if she had something to say to her fellow women who have been harassed in the fighting game community: Here’s what she said:

“I’m so sorry, and please know that you’re not alone. There are so many wonderful, kind, supportive, and caring people in the FGC who are here to help.

“Please keep speaking up about harassment and discrimination. It’s the only way we can get the word out about it and get it addressed and hopefully corrected. Even in just the last five years, it is incredible to see how much the scene and events have improved in terms of safety and inclusivity. It can and will continue to get better and better.

“Even with my unfortunate experience at Combo Breaker this year, the outpouring of concern and support and love, I don’t think I can put into words how heartwarming it was that so many people cared. People I’d never met or only knew in passing came to check on me, which never would have happened if I hadn’t spoken up.

“And it also encouraged others to be more vigilant — people were on the alert to look out for themselves and their friends, knowing that there was someone being creepy. Yeah, it shouldn’t have happened in the first place, but considering how vocal everyone was condemning that behavior, I feel much more confident that it’ll be less likely to happen again in the future.”

We should be vigilant to ensure the women around us are comfortable. There’s no excuse for sexual harassment or any of this sort to exist in the community, and we should be ashamed that it has existed longer than it already has.

I know, some people will say that they’re not here to do feminism or politics and that they’re in the community to just play games, but that’s the thing. They also want to play games. What’s stopping the FGC from making it an enjoyable environment for them, too?

At the end of the day, we all just love fighting games, and what better way to enjoy fighting games than to share them with the people around us?

Last weekend was nuts. The biggest non-EVO offline tournament, Combo Breaker 2026, reached its conclusion with Street Fighter 6 closing out the massively successful event. While Zeng “Xiao Hai” Zhuojun won the bracket and punched his ticket to both Capcom Cup 13 and the Esports World Cup, the kids of the FGC also showed up at the tournament to remind us that they are here to play.

I’m not just talking about the runner-up, Hinao. Another kid with the tag THEBABYS212 also showed up and completely smoked his opponent. In a world of “fighting games are hard,” we have these beacons of light showing us that it’s all a matter of mindset.

Not just that, but to also remind us that the “FGC kids are alright.”

If you were on Twitter during Combo Breaker 2026, you might’ve run into a tweet showcasing a 10-year-old kid playing classic Ken named THEBABYS212. His match was streamed to thousands of viewers, and boy, did he not disappoint.

This kid was whiff-punishing, doing Jinrai loops, and just overall playing the game at a very competitive level. He even won the set 2-0 over Modern Juri player PLASMADRAGON, which sparked debates about Modern versus Classic control schemes again. Now, I couldn’t care less about this argument because that’s not the point! The point is that a 10-year-old kid is going to tournaments and winning their sets.

Even the Japanese broadcast of the tournament was impressed with how THEBABYS212 played!

This means that fighting games still appeal to younger kids who mostly prefer games such as Roblox or Fortnite, and, in extension, that fighting games will continue to live on as they will eventually be the torchbearers of the community after some decades.

If I’m going to talk about the kids in the FGC, it’ll be weird if I don’t talk about the Street Fighter 6 Combo Breaker 2026 Runner-up, Hinao. This kid is a beast. I remember the first time I learned his name was when he won the FightClub Championship VI Chengdu in 2024, punching his ticket to Capcom Cup 12.

In that tournament, he used Ryu and beat Evo champions Victor “Punk” Woodley and Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi. He didn’t just beat them, he blasted them both, 3-0’ing them on his way to the grand final.

Then, he won the whole thing after resetting the bracket and playing a nail-biting final set against Jojotaro. I remember watching the live coverage and seeing him win over $7,000 USD for his feats. When it came time to lift the trophy, he genuinely had problems lifting it because it was too heavy for him. This tournament was also his first international tournament.

Now, around half a year later, Hinao took on his second international tournament at Combo Breaker 2026 and ended up second only to quite possibly one of the best fighting game players alive, Xiao Hai.

If he’s able to consistently top eight in his international tournaments, what’s stopping him from being the next big thing in fighting games?

Hinao has insane potential. In his match against Xiao Hai in the grand finals, Hinao seemed to be a little too antsy and repeatedly put himself in a bad spot by burning out. Xiao Hai took advantage of this by playing a lot more patiently and punishing Hinao’s mistakes. Xiao Hai played like a real veteran, which threw Hinao off his rhythm, because Hinao usually won his sets through raw aggression.

Even though he lost, some of the veterans in the FGC still complimented Hinao’s run. In a tweet, Yusuke “Momochi” Momochi said he wished Hinao would hold his head high despite his loss, because his run was still outstanding. He adds that seeing the younger ones performing really well in tournaments has sparked his competitive drive to never fall behind.

The crowd also had Hinao’s back throughout the grand final. Everyone in Combo Breaker 2026 wanted Hinao to take the title. Now, this might just be because they’re tired of seeing Mai on the screen, or maybe they’re tired of seeing Xiao Hai win, but there was a loud “Aww” sound from the audience after Xiao Hai successfully whiff punishes Hinao for the win.

Don’t get it twisted, however: the audience still clapped for Xiao Hai and congratulated him.

Yup, you heard that right. Most fighting games nowadays feature a character representing the younger generation. In my opinion, this started post-COVID when players like Mashita “acola” Hayato and Miya exploded in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate scene. They came out of nowhere and started winning super majors and taking names from legendary smash players like Leonardo “MkLeo” Lopez Perez and Tyler “Marss” Martins.

Then, in October 2025, Reject established its Youth Division, with Hinao as a member. That same month, the organization sent Hinao to Chengdu to participate in the FightClub Championship VI Chengdu. Well, we all know how that happened. Aside from him, I don’t think any younger-generation fighter has reached heights similar to Hinao’s in Street Fighter 6.

However, in 2XKO, there is one. Bleed. This kid, just like Hinao, won a major at a very young age. Earlier this year, Frosty Faustings XVIII hosted the largest number of entrants for 2XKO in a tournament with over 900 people registering for the game’s bracket. The one who reigned on top? None other than Bleed.

In an interview with Riot, he mentioned that he wants to be “the start of the new generation for the players in the FGC” and that by the end of his career, he wants to be a “pillar of the new generation.”

If you’re not familiar with the phrase “the kids are alright,” it basically means that the younger generation will do fine and will strive. In the FGC context, this means that the kids are still playing fighting games despite other options. To put an optimistic spin on the phrase, you can essentially say that the history and future of the FGC is in good hands, seeing that kids this young are taking the genre seriously and even winning.

These kids grew up at a time when fighting games were very accessible. They’re available on every console, and all they need is an internet connection to play against other people. It pains me to say this, but gone are the days of going to arcades where you line up your quarters in cabinets to show who’s next in line. Fighting games nowadays allow players to hone their skills anytime they want.

With how accessible the games are nowadays, this only increases the appeal of fighting games to the younger generation. With how Hinao and Bleed are performing, I would be surprised if we don’t see a huge surge of population in the FGC in the near future. Not to mention, Street Fighter 6’s popularity in Japan has reached levels that the FGC hasn’t heard of, and we know that’s where the beasts are.

The FGC kids are alright and will continue to be alright. As older members of the FGC, it’s our responsibility to welcome them with open arms.