Fighting game fans were tuned in this weekend as two “Street Fighter V” tournaments showcased a strong ensemble of global players. The HK eSports Festival 2017 in Hong Kong is part of the Capcom Pro Tour 2017, which is expected to award players with the much coveted CPT points along with the prize money. Meanwhile, Shanghai hosted the LAN Story Cup tournament with a bigger pot amount but did not give any CPT points to the winners. However, the biggest surprise fans got was the announcement of Menat, the fifth DLC character for Season 2 of “SFV”.
Menat joins the ‘Street Fighter V’ cast
Late last year, “Street Fighter V” producer Yoshinori Ono announced details about the Season 2 DLC characters for the game. He pointed out that except for Akuma, the remaining five fighters are all going to be brand new entries into the “Street Fighter” universe. So far, they have revealed Kolin, Ed, and Abigail, which garnered a mixed reception from fans. Some fans wanted to see some veteran characters come back, while there are some that appreciate the new faces. Menat joins the roster as the ninth female character among a cast of 27 fighters.
An overview of Menat
Capcom officially announced her arrival during the HK eSports Festival 2017 “Street Fighter V” Top 8.
She is also known as the “Eyes of the Future” and will be available to unlock on August 29, 2017. Her announcement was preceded by a Twitter post that featured a crystal ball. She is rumored to be the apprentice of the mystical Rose from the older games of the fighting game franchise. Prior to her reveal, fans have already speculated that the “Fortune Teller” showcased in Ed’s character story mode will be the next DLC fighter.
It was further supported by her character artwork that seemed to match the preview silhouette of the next fighter.
The preview footage shows Menat fighting with the aid of her crystal ball. Just like her rumored mentor, she also has a move that reflects projectiles back towards the opponent. Additionally, just like Rose, she also has a low-hitting slide attack.
Gamers also noted that her V-Trigger activation summons six orbs that can be used to combo and mix-up her attacks. Along with her release, Capcom will also include several 330th-anniversary costumes for several characters.
The ‘Beast’ is back
Longtime fans of the fighting game franchise also saw a legendary player win his second Capcom Pro Tour event. After a couple of intense matches, Daigo “The Beast” Umehara ended up in the winner’s bracket. The final matches were also quite memorable as Kanamori Tsunehori (Gachikun), whom Daigo sent to losers came back to haunt him after defeating Ryota Inoue (Kazunoko). Gachikun quickly took three games over Daigo, which forced a bracket reset. However, Umehara eventually returned to form and won three games straight to take the championship.
The win reportedly secured him a spot in the Capcom Cup Tournament 2017. Daigo Umehara’s win has cleared any doubts about his decision to pick Guile as his main fighter for “Street Fighter V.” Meanwhile, in Shanghai, Kun Xian Ho (Xian) won the LAN Story Cup over this year’s EVO champion Hajime Taniguchi (Tokido).
