"No player thinks their skills are truly perfect": JDCR talks Red Bull Golden Letters, playing competitively, Heihachi, and more (Exclusive)

Kim “JDCR” Hyun-jin is among the top players to compete at the upcoming Red Bull Golden Letters tournament. A world-class player in his own right, it’s easy to list him as one of the most skilled, and most successful TEKKEN players. He has competed at some of the biggest tournaments the world has to offer, including taking first place in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 at EVO in 2014.

However, big tournaments like that are significantly different from the Red Bull ones. We recently had a chance to sit down with JDCR ahead of the event, to pick his brain on the state of TEKKEN, how it stands up to the previous release, the Red Bull Golden Letters tournament itself, and of course, Heihachi Mishima.

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JDCR talks about the Red Bull Golden Letters tournament, Heihachi Mishima, and more

Q. First, thank you for taking the time to chat with us! Would you please introduce yourself to our audience, for those who don’t know you?

JDCR: Hello! I’m professional TEKKEN player Kim “JDCR” Hyun-jin, playing for Karmine Corp. I travel across the world to compete in TEKKEN.

Q. This week kicks off another Red Bull Golden Letters tournament. How are you feeling going in? Any predictions on who could be a stand-out player - other than yourself?

JDCR: I’ve played in a lot of competitions since TEKKEN 8 release, so I feel like I have got some experience with the game now. I’m paying close attention to Benjamin "Yagami" Torngdee because his main character, Reina, is rare on the international stage, and he has a unique playstyle.

Q. As a former EVO champion, you’ve competed in tournaments both great and small. How does your preparation change for something like the Red Bull Golden Letters tournament, compared to say, EVO?

JDCR: EVO and Red Bull Golden Letters are completely different tournaments. In the case of EVO, the physical strength during the day is very important, because I need to play a lot of games against undecided opponents during the day. For Red Bull Golden Letters, it’s more a case of studying the opponents and how they play with the characters they use, because the brackets are already decided.

Q. It can be incredibly hard to be “discovered” as a fighting game pro, and get a spotlight shone on your skills. With that in mind, do you think tournaments like this one are helpful to the community as a whole?

JDCR: Of course, tournaments like Red Bull Golden Letters are helpful. The community always needs a good level of competitive content, with good tournaments with high-quality gameplay. I think there is room for more content for professionals, through interviews, player stories, and more events.

Q. Throughout 2024, you’ve been showing off just how deadly Dragunov is - one of my favorite TEKKEN characters. However, you do have an affinity for Heihachi, which releases later this year. Are you excited to play as the King of the Iron Fist, and could he take on your spot as main character throughout 2024?

JDCR: For the time being, I have plans to use Heihachi as my main character. It would be better to use a stronger character in tournaments, but aside from that, Heihachi is a character I have used and liked for a long time, which is why I want to experience Heihachi in tournaments.

Q. TEKKEN 8’s been out for a few months now. How does it compare to TEKKEN 7 for you? Is it an overall improvement from the previous game, or are there things you would change, if you could?

JDCR: TEKKEN 8 is more friendly for beginners than TEKKEN 7 and has improved a lot in terms of graphics and music. As a whole, the game is more aggressive, but sometimes attacking feels too favorable. It’s not been too long since it was released, so there’s nothing I would change at the moment. I think Bandai Namco will gradually change the game to make it more balanced.

Q. With the nature of the Red Bull Golden Letters tournament, there are so many potential opponents. Are there any noteworthy players in the UK scene that you’d like to play against?

JDCR: It’s always fun and interesting to play games with various nationalities in international tournaments such as Red Bull Golden Letters because each country has various and unique playstyles. As I’m in the UK this time, I want to play games against European players, but also against Yagami since his character, Reina, is rare for people to use.

Q. One of the hardest parts of competing for some players is simply getting up the nerve, the courage to try and compete at tournaments. Do you have any advice for those players, nervous about their own skills?

JDCR: No player truly thinks their skills are perfect, nor are there any players who don’t get nervous ahead of games. I believe the mental aspect of a competition can only be improved through experiencing tournaments as you can improve your mentality and skill level. My advice is to not take nerves in a negative way, but to always take matches seriously.

Q. Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! Do you have any words for your fans worldwide as this tournament gets ready to begin?

JDCR: I want to say thank you to those who always support me.

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The Red Bull Golden Letters tournament will take place between September 28 and 29 on Twitch and YouTube. You can find JDCR’s content on Twitch, YouTube, and X.