Those looking for proof of Street Fighter 5’s relevance need look no further than the fact that legendary gamer Daigo “The Beast” Umehara is hard at work winning as many of the game’s tournaments as he possibly can. Although the man that many consider to be the greatest fighting game player of all time has been met with much stiffer competition these days than when he was basically an unstoppable force over a decade ago, he still has what it takes to beat the game’s very best. A video from the European Regional Finals for Street Fighter 5 proves that Daigo hasn’t lost a step in one of the most exciting ways possible:

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For those unfamiliar with the competitive circuit of the fighting game genre, the above video showcases Daigo performing an incredible series of blocks against his opponent, ImStillDaDaddy, culminating in an incredible maneuver to block on his other side before KOing his opponent with a good old fashioned Hadouken. To put it into perspective for gamers who don’t play fighting games, Daigo performed the equivalent of no-scoping an opponent blindfolded while dealing with cross-server lag.

While Daigo doesn’t need any more help in cementing himself as the “god of 2D fighting games”, a nickname he’s held for many years now, Street Fighter 5 will benefit from the positive media exposure that comes with Daigo dominating the game’s tournament scene. Street Fighter 5 sales missed Capcom’s target by a massive margin, and the developer has struggled to address the title’s many shortcomings outside of its characteristically deep multiplayer offering.

Although a literal baby can beat Street Fighter 5’s story mode, its multiplayer scene is one of the most challenging competitive experiences in gaming today. Getting to watch Daigo in peak form is like being present while one of history’s greatest painters completed their masterpiece - even those who aren’t necessarily fans of Street Fighter 5 or fighting games shouldn’t miss out on the chance to see a master at work while they still can.

Street Fighter 5 is available now for PC and PS4.

Source: YouTube (via Kotaku)