Canton, NY – Fighting games are perhaps one of the oldest and most classic examples of competitive gaming. One player versus another, no one else there to interfere. It's as pure as competition gets. So why is it that in the age of modern esports fighting games seem to have taken a back seat? How come Fortnite can have close to a million players online at once while fighting games struggle to have a consistent few thousand? Viewership is also drastically short of other competitive genres. The recent ARCREVO Japan 2022 (Guilty Gear Strive) finals and Tekken World Tour Global Finals 2022 both fell short of one hundred thousand peak concurrent viewers while the League of Legends Worlds 2022 saw over five million peak concurrent viewers.
 
This trend extends to collegiate esports as well. Here at SUNY Canton, we only have one active player for Guilty Gear Strive, the only fighting game currently offered in SUNY League. So, we reached out to Cooper Hewison to get his perspective on the fighting game community as it relates to esports.
 
Q: What makes fighting games appealing to you?
 
A: Fighting games are appealing largely for the regard of personal growth, as well as the nuance of mental awareness that almost boils down to a game of body language simply through playstyle alone. Understanding what your opponent is aiming for, and trying to dance around that, it's a really fun and rewarding challenge that offers a largely unique perspective towards most video game competitions.
 
Q: Do you feel more or less pressure when you play by yourself vs. when you are on a team?
 
A: In regard to a "team", such as playing for a school or organization, I've never felt more pressure because I play for a team as I still feel like I'm playing for myself at the end of the day. If anything, I love the pride of doing well for my school. However, in comparison to playing in a team game for example, I feel the stress of playing with others and doing well in your given role so as not to drag the team down is much more stressful.
 

Q: Do you think the FGC (fighting game community) as a whole can reach the popularity levels of other esports such as Valorant or League? Why or why not?
 
A: This is a very old conversation, but I think it's extremely unlikely the FGC will EVER reach the same height as huge esports scenes such as League of Legends, Valorant, etc. It largely comes down to a combination of factors such as lack of accessibility, lack of advertising, lacking QOL (Quality of Life) features, very little developer engagement, and also that fighting games usually as a whole, have less to offer as a package than most traditional esports. The FGC has made its strives and improvements, but it's still only scratched the surface in comparison.
 
Q: Do you think your game could be made into a team sport and would that be better or worse for the competitive scene in your opinion?
 
A:  I think a team sport would be really enjoyable. I've always been a huge fan of running games with a friend as a team (doubles in smash for example), and I think some sort of elimination system like smash crew battles or along the lines of KOF's (King of Fighters) style of 3v3 would be a great, fresh way to experience competition between players. However, I feel as though it would be largely impossible to run this style at the moment, as most schools hardly have more than one player. Singles are just the easiest way to organize players, and I don't think having teams will boost the position of GGS as an esport.
 
Q: Before we end, do you have any socials you would like to plug?
 
A: I stream my matches every Monday at 8 pm over at twitch.tv/chewison or you can follow me on Twitter @chooperchew.
 
However, despite the above-mentioned numbers, the community of the Heritage Hall East Wing, where Hewison currently resides, is very passionate about fighting games. This genre of game tends to be the most played in the esports lounge of this dormitory.
 
Spring 2023 Semester Update
As the tail end of the season approaches and playoffs begin to loom SUNY Canton would like to congratulate its teams with outstanding records (as of 3/24).
 
In ECAC play League of Legends 'A' (7-1), Hearthstone (7-1) and Overwatch II (6-2) lead the way with impressive records. In SUNY league action Guilty Gear Strive carries an impressive 5-2 mark, while COD MW II owns a solid 4-2 record.
 
To keep up with updates esports schedules for the spring 2023 semester click the link below.
   

About SUNY Canton
As Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs, SUNY Canton delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 23 online degree programs. The college placed first in 14 categories in a SUNY-Wide Student Opinion Survey, most notably in career services, tutoring, library resources, and classroom facilities. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity esports and cheerleading.