Bandits Dominate First Half of Street Fighter League US

The first half of Street Fighter League US is now complete, and Bandits sit comfortably at the top of the table after a fantastic run in which they won all six of their matches. They are followed by FlyQuest, with newcomers 2Game Esports close behind. The team which is made up of two-time Capcom Cup winner, MenaRD, Caba, Chris Tartarian, and Booce, have been on a tear with every single member of the team performing excellently. Mena might be the biggest name, but Booce has really held his own on only his second appearance on SFL. Chris T has also been instrumental in clutching out some really tight matches especially against Team Falcons who had threatened to snatch a victory after NL defeated MenaRD in the anchor match. 

The Brazilian squad, 2Game, with JUNINHO-RAS, Bryan Job, Shaka, and 15-year-old prodigy Blaz, opened the season in blistering form with two flawless victories before hitting some turbulence. Blaz performed exactly as anyone who has followed him this year would expect, securing several impressive wins. However, both MenaRD and Psycho managed to shut him down, appearing to have figured out how best to contain the rising star. Blaz did find some redemption, though, defeating Esports World Cup champion Xiao Hai quite convincingly when they faced off.

Xiao Hai’s team, KuaiShou Gaming, have struggled throughout the season, managing just one win against five losses. Despite boasting a strong roster that includes promising talents Zhen and Micky, who placed third at Evo, as well as veteran Vxbao, the team has been unable to show its full potential. Xiao Hai himself admitted in an interview that his confidence has been low.

The live format has added significant entertainment value to Street Fighter League US, with many viewers commenting on how much more engaging it feels now that reactions, emotions, and pop-offs are happening in real time rather than through a pre-packaged broadcast trying to recreate past excitement.

The second half of the season will run from December 3rd to 7th, culminating in the crowning of a new champion. Bandits and FlyQuest are widely seen as the favourites, and with Mena’s current form, it is difficult to imagine another team taking the title.