The Global Esports Federation hires Japanese Fighting Game Pro, Tokido, to join the Athletes and Players Commission

The Global Esports Federation is a worldwide organization attempting to coordinate the global esports scene, help smaller scenes develop, and help professional gamers find sponsors and generate the income they need to support themselves. Recently, they hired Hajime Taniguchi, better known as Tokido, to help reach out to the Fighting Game Community (FGC).

---

Hajime Taniguchi (Tokido) and the Fighting Game Community

Japan’s “Fighting Game Legend” Tokido joins the team. The Global Esports Federation welcomes Esports Champion @tokidoki77 as a Member of the Athletes and Players Commission, adding voice and knowledge of international esports athletes. pic.twitter.com/2sZvruyfQ4

— Global Esports Federation (@GE_Federation) August 12, 2020

Tokido is best known as one of the Five Gods of Fighting Games, and arguably the most successful of the five. Tokido already has a career which stretches over dozens of games, all of which he was able to play at a top level, and boasts an estimated total winnings at $562,597.

Tokido is perhaps best poised to help the Global Esports Federation in its goals due to his incredibly varied experience. Because he has competed at a top level in so many different games, he has firsthand knowledge of how different events are run, who the best event runners are, and what kinds of pitfalls should be avoided.

---

What the Fighting Game Community has to offer esports

Daigo vs Tokido#JustFrameBreakdownWatch archive here https://t.co/GF9jEVgSIc pic.twitter.com/dQufl4XSxr

— HiFight(ハイファイト) (@HiFightTH) July 22, 2020

Despite appearing to go hand-in-hand, the Fighting Game Community has often had disagreements with various esports groups, with the phrase “we esports now” becoming a derogatory insult from many within the community. Fighting Game players often prided themselves on being excluded from many esports events, and esports arguably has done all it can and should learn from the Fighting Game Community.

Perhaps the most important thing the Fighting Game Community has to offer to esports is the culture of hard work and self-improvement, in addition to a degree of competitive integrity that has yet to be matched by another competitive scene.

The Fighting Game Community doesn’t bother tolerating cheaters, quitters, or complainers. It has fostered a culture that demands at minimum that players own up to their losses, but improvement and adaptation is up to them. As a result, fans can be sure that the best Fighting Game players are really at the top of their respective field.

There’s no doubt that they might only be the at the top due to collusion amongst pros or undetected cheats. This is the kind of competitive integrity that has allowed the Fighting Game Community to outlast so many other competitive games, and it’s why the community is a far more welcoming environment than most.