Kakeru, one of many world’s strongest Avenue Fighter 6 gamers and a Capcom Cup champion, has been compelled to retire on the peak of his profession on account of neurological points.
Kakeru Watanabe is a 28-year-old skilled Avenue Fighter participant whose profession began taking off after the pandemic in Avenue Fighter V’s closing years.
His outcomes actually began to indicate on the discharge of Avenue Fighter 6 in 2023, turning into one of many first Japanese gamers to make waves within the sport’s aggressive scene. That 12 months, he even made Prime 8 at Evo, ending 4th out of ~7,000 different rivals.
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Nonetheless, a few of his biggest achievements would happen in 2024, when he received second place at Evo Japan, 2nd at Topanga Cup, and later gained crucial Avenue Fighter match of the 12 months — Capcom Cup.
Kakeru has additionally been on a roll this 12 months, ending within the Prime 8 at Purple Bull Kumite and second at Evo 2025 in opposition to two-time Capcom Cup champion MenaRD… however issues began to come up on the Esports World Cup in August.
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Abruptly, he pulled out of the competitors, citing extreme meals poisoning that required emergency medical remedy. Issues have been quiet for Kakeru within the months that adopted, however in October, the participant dropped information that left all the neighborhood shaken.
Kakeru retires after neurological dysfunction analysis
Kakeru was scheduled to compete in Avenue Fighter League, a team-based competitors that began in August, however was notably absent as a result of aforementioned well being issues that cropped up through the Esports World Cup.
On October 22, each Kakeru and his crew, ZETA Division, introduced that he had formally retired from aggressive preventing video games for the foreseeable future, revealing that he’s combating neurological dysfunction.
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“I’ve determined to retire from my actions as an esports participant,” Kakeru wrote in a submit on X.
“Roughly two months have handed because the sudden suspension of actions.Throughout this time, I sincerely apologize from the underside of my coronary heart for inflicting you all nice fear and inconvenience with out with the ability to report the detailed state of affairs.
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“The ‘neural dysfunction,’ which was the rationale for the suspension of actions, continued, making it tough to proceed competing as a participant.”
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Neurological dysfunction is outlined as a situation the place the mind has points sending and receiving info from the physique. It could possibly trigger a big selection of signs relying on its severity, together with weak spot, coordination issues, muscle spasms, complications, and even seizures.
Kakeru has not given any additional details about the state of affairs on the time of writing. The preventing sport neighborhood has rallied behind him within the wake of this distressing information, celebrating his achievements and the simple mark he’s made on the scene in Avenue Fighter 6’s comparatively quick lifetime thus far.
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As laid out by Liquipedia FGC administrator ‘incross,’ Kakeru is at present the highest-earning Avenue Fighter 6 participant with an 80% winrate in match units — that means he not often takes a loss in skilled competitors.
In reality, out of nearly all of main occasions he’s entered, he’s gotten to the Prime 8 and past, making him one of many sport’s strongest gamers. Followers and fellow rivals are hopeful he’ll recuperate quickly and return to the stage even stronger than earlier than.
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