ICYMI: Basically Evo Moment 38 Happened This Weekend

Well folks, if you haven’t heard of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike before, you have now. Another moment that shook the FGC and esports-world happened this past weekend. Going back to the classic fighting game that encapsulated the most inspirational moment for the FGC. Evo Moment 37 happened 20 years ago in a game of 3rd Strike. When Justin Wong and Daigo Umehara clashed in front of the now well aged CRT TVs. Daigo did his now famous “Daigo Parry” against Justin Wong’s Chun-Li, and won his set. This moment was cemented in esports history, and inspires players around the world to dive into fighting games. Some may say this moment might have even inspired competitive players across the board.

What if I told you that a second moment, with almost the exact same circumstances, happened again? On Saturday, July 20, 2024, a Japanese player by the name of Hayao and his character of choice, Hugo, laid the foundation for what may be remembered as the next big Evo moment. Hugo isn’t a top-tier character by any means, frequently making a B-rank in tier lists across the internet. Hayao took this character at Evo 2024, and showed him off at his peak potential. 

While working the crowd with splits and jumps after each round he won, Hugo air-parried one of Ken’s signature special moves, the Tatsumaki. A four pronged spinning kick attack both Ryu and Ken are known for. This was critical as his health was dangerously low, and if he didn’t parry, he would have lost the fight. Parries are really tough to pull off in 3rd Strike and require a precise input on each hit in order to work.

Showing What A B-Tier Character Can Do At Its Full Potential

He then dodges Ken’s super move mid-air, the Shippu Jinraikyaku, yet another devastating kick attack. Justin Wong, one of the legends who took part in the original Evo Moment 37, commentated the match with flashbacks of losing to Daigo and his Ken wearing their white-colored gi. This was the same color that FrankieBFG’s Ken was using in this match. JWong noted that Hugo’s standing heavy kick is “a useless button,” but Hayao made it work to win the set.

Hayao then takes the opportunity with a dash attack to win the set and cement what makes a great Evo moment. Some call this moment Evo Moment 38, in honor of it’s parallels to Evo Moment 37.

Moments like these are highly regarded in competitive gaming history. Figureheads such as Justin Wong, and Daigo Umehara, who helped create such moments, were inducted into the new Evo Hall of Fame this year with an Evo Award for Impact. Evo is the biggest and most premiere esports event in the world, specifically for fighting games. This year, it broke it’s record for most brackets, with over 10,000 players competing from across the world. Evo continues to make strides as the biggest tournament in the world and recently announced an awards show happening in LA early next year. 

Here’s to more Evo moments that inspire players around the world! Have you been inspired by an esports moment? Share it in the comments below!