On October 16, in Chengdu, inside the CH8 Lushu Performing Arts Center venue opposite the Panda Base Zoo, a "Jiahao Match" destined to be etched into fighting game history was taking place.
On the left side of the stage stood GO1, the champion of the EWC2025 "Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves" division. The 38-year-old veteran had his signature cooling patch stuck to his forehead, piloting his most iconic character, Marco, with his hands off the stick, motionless.
It should be noted that in fighting games, "playing neutral with hands off the stick" is a major taboo. The common logic of all fighting games is to hold back for defense. Therefore, standing still is an extremely high-risk option that gets hit by most offensive choices while offering almost zero reward—it neither closes nor increases distance from the opponent, nor does it handle incoming attacks. It is the worst possible option, completely inferior to crouching guard.
But GO1 did just that, and Pangma, the Korean player using the long-range character Billy against him, truly had no answer. GO1 displayed god-like precision in his blocking, confirmations, and punishes. Pangma's offenses were blocked and punished, his whiffs were precisely punished, and any light attack that landed was confirmed into a super move in one combo. By now, Pangma seemed out of options, forced to watch helplessly as GO1 stood still, full of openings yet impossible to exploit.
This "old master playing with a child" dynamic continued for three rounds before GO1 secured victory with his signature one-hit confirmation combo. The entire audience erupted instantly—the absolute powerhouse, Jiahao, taught you how to play neutral with hands off the stick. That is GO1, the absolute top-tier king of the "Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves" project. Spectators raised their phones to capture this moment of overwhelming dominance.
The two spectators beside me began discussing the match in thick Sichuan accents. One of them is a long-time fan of GO1, having followed him since the "Dragon Ball FighterZ" era. He said that GO1 has always been this way—effortless and free-spirited, reigning supreme in the world of "DBFZ." Now, he has carried that pure strength into "City of the Wolves."
And so, the winner's bracket first round of SCS2026 "Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves" concluded. The triumphant GO1 waved to the audience, seemingly unstoppable in his advance.
Without a moment's mourning for Pangma's defeat, the next to arrive on the battlefield was an obscure young Chinese player named fffff, known as 5f, whom I now prefer to call Gojo-f.
Before the match, almost no one favored 5f. All commentator guests predicted that 5f would be defeated by GO1 with a large score difference—and understandably so. 5f only made his official debut at SCS last year and had not achieved significant results in any major tournaments prior. At the SCS2026 Shanghai station, where he secured his finals ticket, he placed 5th/6th, qualifying at the last second. The character he used was not traditionally considered a top-tier pick in "City of the Wolves," but rather the "weirdo" Joe Higashi.
Therefore, the pre-match atmosphere for the 5f vs. GO1 battle felt like watching a Grade 1 sorcerer like Kusakabe being sent to fight Sukuna—"Me fighting GO1? Are you serious..."
However, the charm of fighting games lies precisely in their unpredictability.
In the first game of the BO5 matchup, developments proceeded as most people expected. GO1 selected Mr. Karate and dominated the arena with his unreasonable neutral game, predicting and sealing almost all of 5f's actions. But by the second game, things began to change. 5f started leveraging Joe Higashi's advantages more frequently, using heavy Gold Upper mix-ups to reverse situations, and his success rate with light attack confirmations increased significantly. The tide of victory began to turn.
GO1 has always been a player skilled at "solving problems," renowned for his ultra-stable counter-strategies and insane move reading and confirmation abilities. However, this also means he struggles to perform at his best when facing "weirdos" with unconventional strategies. In the next three games, 5f completely dragged GO1 into his own rhythm. 5f kept setting the questions, but GO1's ability to solve them gradually couldn't keep up. Even switching to his signature character Marco in the final game proved futile.
Ultimately, 5f made a comeback from being down one game to win three. After beautifully dodging Marco's desperate hidden super move with a back-back input, 5f defeated the tournament favorite and world-class player GO1, sending him to the loser's bracket.
Before this match, 5f might have been an unknown name, but on the finals stage of SCS2026, he became the dark horse under the spotlight. Now, fighting game fans are all talking about 5f's brilliant performance and his story as the "grind king" who practiced "Fatal Fury" for 5,000 hours.
And this was merely the first day of the SCS2026 Chengdu finals. Such spectacular matches continued throughout the three-day schedule. Sixteen "Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves" players and eight "The King of Fighters XV" players, both domestic and international, gathered in Chengdu to compete for the high champion prizes of 300,000 RMB for "City of the Wolves" and 120,000 RMB for "King of Fighters," as well as four precious tickets to the殿堂-level SWC tournament, competing for a super grand prize pool of $4.2 million.
Undoubtedly, this is currently one of the highest-specification and most exciting fighting game tournaments in China.
Organized officially by SNK, the SCS2026 schedule began this March, progressing through online weekly tournaments across two major stages, offline LCQ final qualifiers, and offline regional finals. The roster included top-tier masters such as Xiaohai, GO1, mok, and Sanqiao, who have claimed titles at major international tournaments and even won events with million-dollar prize pools.
The fundamental reason it attracts so many top players lies in the tournament's specifications.
The total prize pool for SCS2026 reached an astonishing 1 million RMB, with the "City of the Wolves" single-title prize pool alone hitting 300,000 RMB. This amount represents an absolutely high specification among T1-tier events—for comparison, the champion's prize for "City of the Wolves" at France's EVO event was only one-third of this year's tournament, and the prize money for the secondary title "The King of Fighters XV" was negligible.
Furthermore, the appeal of the SWC tickets mentioned earlier to professional players is undeniable. Winning titles at million-dollar events like SWC and EWC is the lifelong pursuit of many fighting game players today. The entire SCS2026 circuit produced 1 EWC ticket, 1 ENC (Esports Nations Cup) ticket, and up to 4 SWC tickets. Simply put, the higher the level of the player, the more unmissable SCS2026 becomes.
Moreover, SCS2026 is not some sudden newcomer; it is already highly regarded within the fighting game community. This marks the third consecutive year SNK has hosted a tournament of this caliber—the inaugural SCS was held in Shanghai the year before last, last year's finals took place at Shougang Park in Beijing, and this year's finals arrived in the "Land of Abundance," Chengdu.
Over the past three years, SCS has continuously evolved in every aspect. Last year, it expanded its lineup to include two major titles, "The King of Fighters" and "City of the Wolves," and increased the prize pool to 1 million RMB. It has also steadily expanded its offline tournament reach, hosting large-scale fighting game events at Beijing's Fusion Festival, Shanghai's ChinaJoy, as well as in Huzhou (Zhejiang), Guangzhou, and other locations, contributing significantly to broadening the appeal of fighting games. Furthermore, aligning itself with top-tier international competitions, SCS added offline LCQ (Last Chance Qualifier) tournaments and switched entirely to long-format matches, providing competitors with more opportunities for in-the-moment strategic adjustments while delivering longer, more intense, and exciting matches for the audience.
Today, SCS has become one of the premier fighting game tournaments in China, boasting the highest standards, largest scale, and greatest audience engagement. Whether in online streams or offline venues, spectators from across the country are continuously drawn in by the thrilling competition. Take the Chengdu finals as an example: the venue was filled not only with dedicated fans who traveled great distances to attend but also with local community enthusiasts and even casual visitors from nearby areas who came to enjoy the event.
Inside the venue, spectators could enjoy exciting matches. Outside, SNK set up numerous entertainment activities, including photo zones with cosplayers, early trial areas for new game characters, and nostalgic retro arcade experiences, ensuring everyone left satisfied.
Honestly, having such a high-spec, exciting tournament is a blessing for spectators, domestic fighting game players, and the entire fighting game community.
Looking back a few years to the "darkest hour" of the Chinese fighting game community, interest in fighting tournaments was quite limited. Players struggled to secure club sponsorships and often had to fund their own trips abroad, battling language barriers, acclimatization issues, and jet lag. Many talented players had their potential buried by these objective conditions, unable to realize their talents.
But now, our players can compete in high-spec tournaments right on their home turf, reaping the rewards of their talent and hard work. Rising stars who might have previously gone unnoticed can now hone their skills in high-level matches through the most accessible means. Moreover, players who perform well at SCS2026 can use it as a springboard to reach the broader fighting game world. The best example is player fffff, who defeated the "City of the Wolves" demon king GO1 as a dark horse. Additionally, Sanqiao, the runner-up in the "City of the Wolves" division at EWC2026, and Xiaocai, who qualified directly for the EWC main event upon debut, both launched their competitive careers through SCS.
During a break in the matches, I managed to chat with an operations staff member from SNK China. She admitted that hosting large-scale events like SCS is indeed very costly. Nevertheless, they plan to operate it long-term as part of their strategic planning. This is driven both by SNK's own strategic needs and by the desire to cultivate the fighting game community, provide exciting matches for viewers, and offer training opportunities for players. Next year, the year after, and far into the future, SCS will continue to shine as the representative of major Chinese fighting game tournaments.
On October 18, the final day of the SCS2026 event, the "The King of Fighters XV" competition had concluded the previous day, with Korean player "Hanbi" Madkof defeating Japanese player "Chawan" Chawan to take the championship. Currently underway in the arena is the heating-up "Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves" showdown.
GO1 is indeed a super-tier player who dominates the "City of the Wolves" scene. Even after dropping to the loser's bracket, his skill and form showed no signs of decline. Instead, he grew stronger with each fight, consecutively eliminating Lancer, Nemo, and Yunwu with crushing 3-0 scores. He then faced Xiaobao, who had just secured his SWC2026 ticket and was in hot form, pushing the series to 2-2 before edging out a victory with a slight advantage, advancing all the way to the loser's finals.
Waiting for GO1 there was 5f, who had defeated him on the first day. Riding high after beating GO1, 5f defeated the currently popular Naiwang with a decisive 3-1 score to secure his ticket, meeting Xiaohai in the winner's finals. After losing to the latter, he advanced to wait for GO1 in the loser's finals.
The two clashed again. Initially, 5f held a significant advantage, with his mix-ups and continuous frame-trap pressure remaining sharp, almost sweeping the first two games with ease. But by the third round, 5f suddenly realized that his offense seemed unable to get through.
In the BO7 long-format match, GO1's adaptability as a seasoned veteran was greatly stimulated. Within just a few rounds, he adapted to all of 5f's Joe Higashi kill moves. The same attacks that previously worked were now neutralized by GO1's precise blocking, back jumps, and counter-hits, dragging the battle into a neutral game and defensive struggle favorable to GO1.
Although 5f also demonstrated neutral game skills comparable to GO1 in the sixth game, forcing the match to a deciding game, he ultimately fell short against GO1, whose adaptability had reached its peak. After contributing seven thrilling games that left the live audience roaring, he lost the loser's finals 3-4, ending his first SCS journey in third place.
And this was also his best achievement in his debut year.
Although he failed to defeat GO1 for the second time, the strength he displayed in this series undoubtedly caught the attention of many clubs within the community, who are likely extending offers. 5f's terrifying 5,000 hours of practice finally bore fruit, becoming his stepping stone to becoming a professional fighting esports player and earning him a precious ticket to Stockholm, Sweden, to compete for the $1.5 million grand prize.
And GO1, having defeated him, completed his "return from hell." He would challenge his greatest nemesis in the grand finals from the loser's bracket—the demon king who reigns over SNK fighting games, the highest mountain and the longest river—Xiaohai.
However, the finals process was unexpectedly plain.
Perhaps due to energy depletion from consecutive battles, or perhaps because Xiaohai, who had recently mained the "Tengu" Mr. Karate to perfection, was simply too powerful to shake, GO1 offered little meaningful resistance in the grand finals' race-to-four matchup. He won only one round before being swept 4-0. Xiaohai easily won this revenge match for the French EVO "City of the Wolves" title, successfully defending his SCS2026 championship and pocketing the champion's trophy and 300,000 RMB prize money.
With this, all events for SCS2026 have officially concluded.
After the awards ceremony, the send-off ceremony for SWC2026 was held in the venue. Players such as Xiaohai, 5f, Sanqiao, and GO1 took the stage one by one. Among them were the undisputed GOATs of fighting games, whose sheer strength once single-handedly upheld Chinese fighting esports; dark horses who debuted at SCS and proved themselves through trials and tribulations; and formidable foreign powerhouses attracted by the substantial prize money and ticket rewards.
They competed here this year, departing from this point to conquer the world and vie for the crown and million-dollar super prizes at the殿堂-level SWC tournament. Next year, they will return to the same arena to contribute equally exciting matches for the fighting game community and the audience.
Fighters, let us meet again at SCS2027 next year.