Punk sweeps Street Fighter 6 and Doramigi slams competition in Smash Ultimate at LVL UP EXPO 2026: FGC’s explosive weekend leading to Evo Japan 2026

The FGC was handled to a wild weekend courtesy of LVL UP EXPO 2026, which noticed worldwide gamers resembling Goichi “GO1” Kishida, Shoji “Fenritti” Sho, and Doramigi fly in to show themselves at Los Angeles.

From Victor “Punk” Woodley’s Avenue Fighter 6 run to Christopher “NYChrisG” Gonzalez showing within the Prime 8 of just about all of the tournaments he entered, right here’s the rundown of essentially the most attention-grabbing tales final weekend.

Punk is arguably the most effective Avenue Fighter gamers to have ever come out of the USA of America. He received Evo Vegas 2024, lots of Capcom Professional Tour premier occasions, and a complete lot of tournaments.

Actually the one factor lacking in his resume is successful the Capcom Cup.

Whereas that title nonetheless eludes him, he confirmed up at LVL UP EXPO 2026 and swept his opponents in Avenue Fighter 6. Punk really entered the Prime 8 of the bracket from the loser’s aspect of issues after Michael “Riddles” Kim robbed him of his possibilities to win the event flawlessly. He crawled from the loser’s aspect, received the runback towards Riddles 3-0, after which proceeded to win nailbiter video games towards NYChrisG for the back-to-back LVL UP EXPO title.

As knowledgeable 0-2’er, successful a event from the loser’s aspect is way more spectacular than successful it from the winner’s aspect. I don’t have way more latest knowledge, however based on this random Reddit guy from 11 years in the past, Smash tournaments are overwhelmingly received from the winner’s aspect. Gamers from the loser’s aspect of the bracket have lower than 20% probability of successful the entire thing. I guess my cash that the statistic is fairly related throughout preventing video games.

Proper after his win, Punk went straight to catch a flight to Japan, the place he’s now staying and speaking about how heated toilets “hit different” in Japan.

By no means change, Punk.

Over to the Tremendous Smash Bros. Final aspect of issues, Doramigi additionally received his back-to-back, beating his mates and rivals to solidify himself as the most effective Smash Final participant on this planet.

And to let you know the reality, this child is getting form of scary.

His Liquipedia web page lists all his placements in tournaments he’s entered, and it exhibits that the final time he wasn’t within the Prime 8 was in 2024. That’s two years of consistency! It’s harking back to Leonardo “MkLeo” Lopez Perez’s dominance in early Final from 2020 up till Smash Final Summit 5 in 2023, the place he bought despatched residence early.

Whereas there’s an argument available that Doramigi isn’t coming into as many tournaments as MkLeo again within the day, reduce the child some slack; he nonetheless has college to attend.

Primarily based on his tweet above, Doramigi’s subsequent event seems to be Kagaribi, which takes place the day after Evo Japan 2026. It’s a Premier event with lots of worldwide expertise flying in, together with MkLeo and even Riddles. I imply, you’re already there for Evo Japan, may as nicely keep for just a few extra days to play a Smash event!

There are only a few folks within the FGC who’ve risen to NYChrisG’s heights. He received the Capcom Cup again when it wasn’t a $1 million event with atrocious prize distribution, and he has a few Evo titles underneath his belt.

Nonetheless, that doesn’t cease him from coming into large tournaments and making a financial institution out of it.

Simply to place issues into context, Punk received $4,750 after putting first in Avenue Fighter 6 and fourth in Deadly Fury: Metropolis of the Wolves. NYChrisG, alternatively, positioned second in Avenue Fighter 6, second in Avenue Fighter 4, third in 2XKO, fourth in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, fourth in Final Marvel vs Capcom 3, and ninth in Deadly Fury: Metropolis of the Wolves for a complete successful of $3,500.

That’s not too dangerous for a preventing recreation haul, contemplating that our prize swimming pools are low in comparison with different esports. Not simply that, it’s much more than what different gamers bought for putting first of their respective video games! Responsible Gear -STRIVE-, for instance, solely awarded $700 to its first-place competitor.

This isn’t a diss to FGC prize swimming pools (but in addition kinda, please fund us extra), nevertheless it’s extra of a testomony to how NYChrisG can juggle a number of preventing video games. Most gamers these days play solely sure preventing video games and by no means actually contact others, which normally ends in meaningless discourse. For my part, taking part in a wide range of preventing video games (whereas complicated as a consequence of muscle reminiscence and different variables) will enhance your fundamentals and understanding of preventing video games as a complete.

However that’s simply me.

Persevering with his methods, NYChrisG units his sights on Evo Japan, coming into The King of Fighters XV, Deadly Fury: Metropolis of the Wolves, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, and the 2XKO brackets. For those who’re questioning why there’s no Avenue Fighter 6 there, apparently, the bracket had a participant restrict, and he couldn’t register on time.

After failing to get to the Prime 8 on the Tekken World Tour Finals 2025, Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique appears to have discovered his footsies (get it?) simply in time for his first-to-seven set towards Yuta “Chikurin” Take on April twenty ninth, 2026.

Arslan Ash hasn’t dropped a recreation in LVL UP EXPO 2026, washing all his opponents apart and taking residence his back-to-back title.

The seven-time Evo champion hasn’t received a event since Evo France 2025, and this win needs to be a confidence enhance not only for the first-to-seven set, but in addition for Evo Japan, which occurs proper after.

Arslan Ash is now again in Japan, the place he has been staying since February of this 12 months. This provides him at some point to arrange for his set towards Chikurin. For my part, Arslan Ash has the sting on this bout, as he has a constructive win price towards Chikurin in Tekken 7 tournaments. Nonetheless, in Tekken 8, Chikurin is a special beast, and the 2 have traded units, leading to a 1-1 document.

Whereas the upcoming match goes to be an exhibition of excellent ass Tekken, I believe that it ought to’ve been Arslan Ash vs Knee, after which make it a first-to-ten. Perhaps even make it the principle occasion.

Riddles’ transition to Avenue Fighter 6 has been one of many smoothest ones I’ve seen to date, and it’s not even shut.

It’s uncommon for a Tremendous Smash Bros. participant to search out success in one other a part of the FGC, and the one different particular person I can consider is William “Leffen” Hjelte, who transitioned from Melee to Responsible Gear -STRIVE-.

The Terry Bogard essential had a clean bracket up till the winner’s finals of Prime 8, the place he fought NYChrisG and misplaced 3-1. It didn’t finish there, as a rampaging Punk blasted him out of the event in third place.

Nonetheless, that is nonetheless a really respectable putting for Riddles, contemplating that he despatched Punk to the loser’s bracket. On high of that, he additionally beat GO1, the most effective Avenue Fighter 6 gamers on this planet.

This child’s evolution is really one thing to behold. He introduced his intent to deal with Avenue Fighter 6 a 12 months in the past and has been doing splendidly ever since. He has certified for the Esports World Cup as a free agent and has completed second on the Avenue Fighter League Professional-US 2025 alongside Punk, Alan “Nephew” Solar, and Shawn “Psycho” Williams.

Identical to the opposite rivals right here, Riddles has his eyes on that Evo Japan 2026 title and has a good probability at it.