Namikaze, a Brazilian Street Fighter 6 player, had his visa denied and might not be able to compete for the $2 million prize at the Capcom Cup. This is not the first time such an incident has occurred in the Fighting Games Community, and I doubt it’ll be the last.
Brazilian Player Namikaze Prevented From Competing at Capcom Cup Due to Visa Denial
The situation has infuriated the Brazilian FGC. On December 18th, 2023, Namikaze had his visa denied during an interview at the consulate that lasted about 3 minutes. The Brazilian player said the person conducting the interview seemed to have little to no interest in hearing what he had to say. In my brief conversation with Namikaze, this is how he described the situation:
“During my interview, which was quite short, around 3 minutes, the person who conducted it did not want to look at my documents, nor did they ask for any additional information for me to prove the purpose of my trip. I mentioned that it was for international competition, in a tournament for which I earned a spot here in Brazil with all expenses covered.”
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This has caused the Brazilian FGC to react angrily to the injustice committed to a player who has earned his spot in the competition. The news spread like wildfire, and many popular content creators and players have tried to raise awareness and help Namikaze have a shot at the $2M prize. One of the most notorious attempts to bring this situation before everyone’s eyes came from Vini Oliveira, also known as Punho do Dragão:
“Street Fighter isn’t as mainstream as Counter-Strike or League of Legends, but on Feb/24, the Capcom Cup X will take place, marking the biggest tournament in the franchise’s history, with a prize pool of 2 million USD. Two Brazilians secured spots for this global event. However, one of them has just had their visa denied.”
Vini continues the thread, mentioning that this is not the first time Brazilian E-Sports players have faced this situation, and it’s not exclusive to Fighting Games players. Many players have their dreams and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity crushed with no explanation, even if they have earned their spot in one of the biggest competitions in the world and have the documentation to prove it.
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Currently, Namikaze’s situation is well known in Brazil. Vini’s efforts to make people aware of it worked. The player’s story has been shared by many Brazilian popular websites, players, and influencers. Names like Colossimus, a League of Legends caster, and Thomas Schulze, a writer at one of the biggest videogames Portal in the country, are also helping spread awareness and maybe find a way to help Brazil’s Capcom Cup representative.
A Tale as Old as the FGC
The situation that Namikaze is facing is unfortunate, but not surprising. There are many cases of players of many games from all over the world who had their visas denied. In 2020, Konqueror, an MK11 player, had his visa denied four times. However, he managed to turn the situation around after the FGC helped spread awareness of the situation. The case gained so much attention that Danilo Gentilli, a famous comedian and late-night show host in Brazil, tagged the American embassy on social media, asking them to reconsider.
“Hello @EmbaixadaEUA, how are you? First of all, with due respect to the sovereignty of the country, I came across a case, put myself in the boy’s shoes, and would like to report it to you. I’m reaching out here because it was the fastest way I found to contact you. Please, if you can, pay attention to this.”
It seems the goal of the Brazilian FGC is to make lightning strike in the same place a second time. Namikaze has received a lot of support and counseling from the FGC and other influential people involved with E-Sports. His situation is complicated. The Capcom Cup is in February 2024, and he might not have enough time to request another Visa. Even if he does, there’s no guarantee that his visa won’t be denied once again. We can only hope that with enough noise and support, a dream won’t be crushed due to apathy and bureaucracy.
