MenaRD talks Street Fighter 6 at Evo Las Vegas 2024: “It feels unreal sometimes because I’ve always dreamt about it from my little PC back home.”

At Evo Las Vegas 2024, Saul “MenaRD” Mena officially became a member of Red Bull Gaming. During an exclusive interview with esports.gg, he discussed his new partnership with Red Bull, reflected on his esports career, and shared insights about Evo Las Vegas 2024. Additionally, Mena offered his perspective on the Street Fighter 6 meta and commented on his rivals.

MenaRD joins Red Bull Gaming at Evo Las Vegas 2024

I’m thrilled to pieces to be a member of the Red Bull Gaming team, as I shared during my interview with esports.gg. The brand’s rich history and esteemed reputation in the esports world truly humbles me. Plus, I can’t deny the immense value of the resources and support that Red Bull Gaming offers, not just for individual player success but also for sustaining the thriving community around us. It’s an honor to be a part of this team and contribute to its continued triumphs.

MenaRD expressed a desire to draw attention to many communities in the Dominican Republic that may not have access to certain opportunities. He is eager to engage more with this community through various events, such as tournaments or talent showcases. His focus is on giving back to the community. Red Bull is involved in numerous sports, and the idea of combining gaming with fans of other sports through a unique crossover event is an exciting prospect for him.

As a gamer under the Red Bull Gaming banner, I’m thrilled to be teamed up with Street Fighter 6 peers like Adel “Big Bird” Anouche, Shin “Leshar” Moon-sup, Tsunehiro “gachikun” Kanamori, Daigo Umehara, and Lin “Oil King” Li-wei. I can’t wait to compete alongside my friend Big Bird. I’m also looking forward to getting to know Oil King better during this event.

MenaRD on Street Fighter 6 and the FGC: “It feels like a dream come true.”

For MenaRD, realizing his dream of being involved in the fighting game community (FGC) and competing on an international level has been a tremendous achievement. In 2023 alone, he won gold at Get On My Level X in Toronto, Evo Japan, and Red Bull Kumite New York. Additionally, he qualified for the Esports World Cup 2024 by participating in DreamHack Dallas.

MenaRD shared with esports.gg his astonishment, expressing it as, “This is like a dream coming alive for me.” He continued, “At times, it seems surreal because I used to imagine this very scenario from my humble home computer. The thought of having this chance was beyond our wildest dreams – not just for me, but for us all. Our resources were limited and visiting the US seemed unattainable.”

He went on, expressing amazement as he watched his early aspirations of exploring the world and facing off against top athletes become a reality.

He reminisced about his current experiences – traveling to various places in Japan and competing against top fighters – which he had fantasized about as a young child, around 8 or 9 years old. The reality of it all left him feeling both surreal and anxious, fearing that it might just be a dream soon enough, as he anticipated the eventual return to routine life. It was an astonishing turn of events for him.

Born into the FGC and a tribute to LuiMan20

MenaRD grew up with a deep passion for gaming, influenced and guided by his elder brother Luis “LuiMan20” Manuel since childhood. Throughout his life, he immersed himself in video games, leading him to earn recognition and achievement, both within his local community and globally, due to his unwavering devotion to Street Fighter.

He shared with esports.gg that he can’t recall the exact beginning because he grew up immersed in it. His older brother, LuiMan, was a top-notch player in the country since his childhood. He would often spend time around him, observing and learning the game just to bond and converse with him. As far as he can recollect, gaming has been a constant part of his life since then.

MenaRD talks Evo Las Vegas 2024 and Street Fighter 6 meta

At Evo Las Vegas in 2024, MenaRD will be participating in the Street Fighter 6 tournament, which serves as a Capcom Pro Tour Premier Qualifier event. In an interview during the competition, he expressed that the latest Street Fighter 6 update weakened both Luke and Blanka for him. Consequently, he is adapting by adding Akuma and Zangief to his roster.

“Luke and Blanka have experienced significant setbacks in their abilities since the latest update, according to him. Their strong points have been scaled back. Despite my faith in these characters, I’m preparing for challenging matchups due to their vulnerabilities. To counteract this, I plan on using Akuma and Zangief at Evo. With this being the largest Evo yet, I aim to make an impression and deliver a strong performance for all to see.”

When it comes to his preferred opponents for a fight at Evo Las Vegas in 2024, he has named Kakeru, Amjad “AngryBird” Al-Shalabi, and Victor “Punk” Woodley as his top picks.

As a gamer, I’m pumped up to take on plenty of last year’s challenges again. Those who bested me at Evo Las Vegas, like Kakeru and AngryBird, are on my list. I’ve already avenged my losses; I defeated Kakeru in Japan and beat AngryBird at Capcom Cup. But nothing compares to winning under the bright lights of Evo Las Vegas and wrapping up that storyline. Punk is also impressing everyone this season, so facing him would be an added bonus.

In terms of his final remarks, MenaRD expressed excitement about sharing the outcomes of his collaboration with Red Bull Gaming. He expressed his eagerness to make everyone proud with the efforts he’s put into this season and in the future.