REJECT CEO Highlights Importance of English for Japanese Players

Former esports star and CEO of Japanese esports organization, REJECT, Shoya Kouyama, made some comments regarding the growth of esports in Japan and a central advantage that he feels Japanese players need to grasp to compete on the world stage. 

Shoya, who typically goes as NasteL on X, tweeted saying:

“Lately, reverse offers from overseas players have been increasing. Is it because Japan's esports scene is starting to get lively?  

“On the other hand, when it comes to competing for player contracts, it's often Saudi Arabia and such lol (they're strong). Considering this industry where player careers are relatively likely to be short, learning English is especially essential, so better start studying now…”

According to him, learning English is a big deal for Japanese players and could be the difference between success and failure in the esports space. 

There is some truth to this as there have been more examples of foreign nationals joining Japanese teams, one simply has to look at REJECT themselves, who signed both Big Bird and AngryBird to join their roster even with the two not being Japanese nationals. This means that there is more of a competition for local Japanese players, but with Japanese fighting game players so strong, it also means that there are more opportunities than ever for Japanese players to sign for foreign entities. But, the language barrier can be significant, and learning English can be a great way to manage that. 

This is true even on a content creator level as more international fans are following Japanese player streams, and being able to converse can be a great advantage. Some of Tokido’s appeal lies in the fact that he speaks English pretty well compared to his peers. 

The importance of English is something that pro player, Gran Todakai also chimed in on as he said:

“Yes, in the recent e-sports industry, learning English is essential. It’s not limited to e-sports; by acquiring English, opportunities expand in many fields, and simply learning another language can open up possibilities for high-paying jobs.  

“I mainly come from a country where Spanish is the native language, but all my previous work has been in English-speaking environments.”

As esports becomes more globalized, players moving to foreign organizations will only become more common. The landscape is changing and this seems to be an exciting time for esports players.