Top 50 Most Influential People in the FGC – Part 5

We’ve reached the halfway point of our Top 50 Most Influential People in the FGC project, where we highlight FGC’s shining stars and community leaders whose names are destined for the Halls of Fame. These figures, whether through their exceptional gaming skill, their extraordinary contributions to the community, or their tireless efforts in fostering growth and inclusivity, have helped shape the FGC into what it is today.

However, it's essential to note that while this list aims to honor some of the most remarkable individuals within the FGC, the inherent subjectivity of such rankings means that many other influential figures may not find themselves among these fifty names. The FGC is diverse and expansive, teeming with talent and dedication at every level, and influence often extends beyond the boundaries of a list. This compilation serves as a tribute to those who have undoubtedly played a significant role in the growth and evolution of the Fighting Game Community, but it's important to remember that the impact of countless others is equally valuable and deserving of recognition.

Today, we have a volume especially dedicated to the game developers. They created, developed, nurtured the games we know and love, and essentially shaped the industry we are all a part of into what it is today! Meet Daisuke Ishiwatari, Adam “Keits” Heart, Takashi Nishiyama, Seth “S-kill” Killian, and Yu Suzuki!

Daisuke Ishiwatari

The renaissance man of the fighting game industry. Daisuke Ishiwatari joined Arc System Works with a goal of creating his dream fighting game, with both skills and guts to back it up. Even early on, Daisuke provided the game design, story, characters, art, music, and even some voice acting. His well-rounded talents and passion are something to admire.

Thanks to his passion, Guilty Gear became a leading anime fighting game series that continued to drive the genre forward, with titles that attracted of both casual newcomers and grizzled veterans who strive to achieve higher and higher levels of play.

Seth “S-kill” Killian

Seth Killian’s achievements in both fighting games community and the gaming industry are numerous. 

As a game developer, he was there to help shape Street Fighter IV into the legendary game that it is, and aided in production of countless other titles at Capcom. As a commentator, he was there to convey the depth and excitement for some of the best matches we’ve ever seen. As a tournament organizer, he helped to make Evo what it is today. 

Finally, as a guy who loves fighting games, he used his knowledge and experience to write countless articles in the Domination 101 series, which remains to be a must-read.

As fighting game fans, we want to say thank you, Seth!

Adam “Keits” Heart

Whether you want to play a good game, or develop one, you want to have Adam around. He played a crucial role in Killer Instinct, Divekick, and Rumbleverse being incredibly fun games, in part thanks to his tendency to be brutally honest and direct about his views and opinions. If Keits believes into something, he will fight for it, and this is something that the community always appreciates.

His video with Hold Back to Block about netcode also helped to educate countless people in the FGC about how online modes of their favorite fighting games actually work, on top of pinpointing the mechanics and benefits of rollback.

Keits, if you are reading this, we still miss the Grapital City, but are excited to see where you’ll take us next time!

Yu Suzuki

The grandfather of fighting games, Yu Suzuki, stood at the origins of 3D SEGA games and 3D fighters specifically. His talent when it comes to technology can not be understated. This man acquired Lockheed Martin’s texture mapping tools and then engineered it into a chip, all in service of his fighting game actually having textures and looking better than the rest.

This ingenuity and wit was a huge boon to SEGA overall, but it also served to advance fighting games well ahead of their time. Who knows where Virtua Fighter would be right now, if all the way back then, Yu Suzuki didn’t go above and beyond to kickstart a new sub-genre of fighting games, one which millions of people enjoy to this day.

Takashi Nishiyama

Takashi Nishiyama played an incredibly important role during the formative years of fighting games. His prior experience of developing arcade titles has led up to the creation of Street Fighter. While it was very different from what it would become, it laid the foundation for greatness, and even featured the control scheme that all future Capcom fighters would utilize.

As if that wasn’t enough, he continued to develop his vision at SNK with the original Fatal Fury, continuing to serve as a produce for many of SNK’s fighting games that came after it. Takashi Nishiyama’s positive influence on the entire genre cannot be overlooked, and standing at the roots of several legendary franchises is not something that many people can be proud of!

This is the fifth part of our project. We will keep highlighting these incredible FGC stars for seven more weeks until the Top 50 is complete. And also, feel free to mention people who you think deserve to be applauded for their achievements alongside these esteemed stars! Until the next Monday!