GO1 Ends EWC Title Defense Following Health Scare

Reigning Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Esports World Cup champion GO1 has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the EWC following health concerns.

GO1 suffered a heatstroke that led to his collapse while in Paris, France, on the way to the tournament venue. According to eyewitness reports, GO1 suffered the heatstroke while on the bus transporting players to the venue. The bus, which was without air conditioning, was uncomfortable for most of the players, but particularly for GO1, who had already suffered a similar episode back in June in Japan.

The EWC announced the news on X with a post that read: "Due to an ongoing health issue, GO1 has decided to withdraw from the Esports World Cup. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to his return next summer."

GO1 followed up with a response in which he said, "I was somehow able to participate in the first day's match, but unfortunately, my condition worsened afterward, leading me to make the difficult decision to withdraw from the matches starting from the TOP16.

"I sincerely apologize to all the supporters and opponents for not meeting your expectations. After returning home, I will focus entirely on recovery for a while.

"During my stay in France, I received tremendous support from the EWC organizers and community managers. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude here."

GO1 had already advanced to the top 16 following wins over Abao and Fenritti and was scheduled to play Kingdevu in the next stage.

It is hoped that GO1 will make a full recovery after returning to Japan.

Last year also saw the withdrawal of Kakeru during the EWC Street Fighter 6 tournament. Kakeru, who had won the Capcom Cup and reached the grand finals of Evo Las Vegas, also suffered a health issue that forced him to withdraw. It was announced soon afterward that he would be retiring from competitive play.

He did return in a limited capacity this year, finishing in the top three at a World Warrior tournament in Japan and entering the open qualifiers for the Topanga Championship. However, he is unlikely to compete with the same frequency as before and will likely not attend overseas tournaments.

It is hoped that the same is not true for GO1, who is rightly considered one of the greatest fighting game players in history.