Highlights
- A blind player named BlindWarriorSven impressed the crowd at EVO 2023 with a stunning victory in Street Fighter 6, showcasing his skill and determination.
- Sven lost his eyesight at a young age but found a passion for fighting games and has become well-known on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.
- Street Fighter 6 has improved accessibility features that have allowed visually-impaired players like Sven to compete and excel in the game, highlighting the progress made in making gaming more inclusive.
A blind Street Fighter 6 player dazzled the crowd with an impressive victory at EVO 2023, and his win is going viral online. The annual Evolution Championship Series is set to run from August 4 to August 6 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Los Vegas, and features professional gamers from all around the world as they compete against each other in a wide assortment of fighting games both old and new.
One of the games being played at EVO 2023 is Street Fighter 6, which was released earlier this year to much critical acclaim. Capcom’s legendary 2D fighting series has been a staple of EVO since its inaugural event in 2002, and players got to try out a demo of Street Fighter 6 during EVO 2022. One year later, Street Fighter 6 kicked off the EVO 2023 festivities in a big way, with one player in particular taking the crowd by surprise with their inspirational win on Day 1.
During the first day of EVO 2023, an e-Sports competitor by the handle of BlindWarriorSven pulled off an impressive victory against fellow Street Fighter 6 player EternalPancake. As his handle suggests, Sven is blind, but that didn’t stop him from landing the finishing blow using E Honda’s signature flying headbutt move to take down Luke - causing the EVO crowd behind him to erupt in applause as his opponent congratulated him on a well-played match. Footage of Sven’s takedown soon spread across the internet, with commentators on forums like Reddit discussing the moment and praising Sven for his awe-inspiring display of skill.
Sven lost his eyesight at the age of six due to cancer, but he soon found a passion in life by playing fighting games like Street Fighter 2. He found that he could play by using in-game sounds to determine his opponent's position, and has since made a name for himself on platforms like YouTube and Twitch. Sven has also advocated for better accessibility options in video games, something that Street Fighter 6 has made great strides in. One particularly helpful feature is an assortment of distinct audio cues that allow visually-impaired players to determine their character’s position relative to their opponent and what attacks said opponent is performing.
Indeed, video games have made great progress in allowing more people to play by having improved accessibility options - meaning that passionate players like Sven have a chance to show off their skills at events like EVO 2023. Sven has always championed this philosophy, and his latest win in Street Fighter 6 is an inspirational testament to how gaming can bring people together.
Street Fighter 6 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
Source: Dextro
