Rising up within the FGC: How two younger prodigies grew to become combating sport legends

It’s no secret that North America struggles in virtually each esport. As aggressive gaming has taken the worldwide stage, the area has been left behind. This makes the story of combating sport heavyweights, NoahTheProdigy and KingReyJr, an anomaly.

These NA prodigies had been competing in tournaments towards adults after they had been nonetheless in elementary college. Each additionally grew up as considered one of three siblings, with their fathers getting as concerned as they may to assist them obtain their goals regardless of attempting to boost two different kids on the identical time.

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Of their respective combating video games, they’re carrying NA on their again as full-time professional gamers, managing to show combating video games into their job earlier than they turned 20.

NoahTheProdigy had the best NA placement at each Capcom Cup 11 and EWC for Road Fighter 6, and KingReyJr is the best ranked NA participant on the Tekken 8’s 2025 World Tour. They’re altering the storyline of their entire area.

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However, after sitting down with and speaking to them, it’s clear that there’s much more separating these two than the sport they compete in. Simply because they each grew up within the combating sport group doesn’t imply they’ve the identical story.

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NoahTheProdigy determined being a Road Fighter professional was the one possibility

NoahTheProdigy has been making headlines since he was in grade college. Getting into his first event at seven years outdated, he’s been competing for over a decade. And, in accordance with him, being a Road Fighter professional was his solely plan. He wouldn’t have accepted the rest.

“I by no means had a backup plan. That is 100%. In case you have a backup plan, which means your plan A isn’t adequate and also you’re not assured sufficient,” he stated.

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“Solely b*tches quit. For those who quit, you’re a b*tch.”

Noah’s strategy is a brazen one, and one which not often works out in esports. No backup plans, no compromises, only a full dedication to competing and getting higher. However not often doesn’t essentially imply by no means.

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His father totally supported him on this journey, encouraging him to focus much less on college and extra on Road Fighter.

As an alternative of homework, Noah was finding out the Road Fighter GOATs. His father Moises inspired him to chase his goals and by no means quit on them, it doesn’t matter what anybody informed him.

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“I defined to [Noah] ‘There’s gonna be crowds yelling and all that and all you do is tune ’em out and simply focus.’ You simply have to show your child what’s proper, flawed. Noah, when he loses, what I say to him? ‘That is what it’s known as, son. You are taking a licking and carry on ticking,’” Moises stated in an interview with Large Bomb all the way in which again in 2011.

Even earlier than esports was a possible profession path, Noah’s father supported him. When it did turn out to be an actual risk, his father supported him much more, shopping for him a brand new PC setup throughout 2020’s lockdowns so he had a superb setup to play on and make content material.

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Moises’ never-back-down mentality caught with Noah, even by means of more durable instances when he needed to work no matter job he may get to remain afloat and show he was critical about Road Fighter.

“I used to be working some sh*tty-ass jobs, I ain’t gonna lie. However I at all times knew that it was gonna work out.”

From there, Noah grinded till he lastly acquired signed with Twisted Minds in 2024 and was in a position to flip his dream right into a full-time job at 19. Now, he’s looking for out how you can put North America on prime of Road Fighter.

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“I wouldn’t say I’m one of the best. This enterprise is simply laborious. It’s laborious to win. I imply, Japan is so robust, I feel as of proper now they’re simply higher than us. They gained Road Fighter League. They positioned means greater than us within the Esports World Cup. They gained Capcom Cup,” Noah defined.

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“America has an ego, they usually don’t know how you can management it. That’s why we don’t get higher.”

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Although Noah talks a variety of trash and usually calls individuals out, he tries to maintain issues surface-level and focus his criticisms on his and his rivals’ shared career, Road Fighter. The trash discuss is simply a part of his character, and he’s lots nicer in particular person than you’d suppose from scrolling his Twitter timeline.

“I’m a very nice man. I solely discuss sh*t on Twitter as a result of it’s filled with b*tches. I imply, they don’t perceive me as a result of, like, they’ve school tuitions arrange. They don’t perceive my background and what I got here from,” he defined.

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Whereas Noah has ambitions of profitable the largest occasions on the planet, he already feels a deep sense of satisfaction in what he’s been in a position to obtain and utilizing his expertise to uplift himself, his household, and his group.

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“I’m already a legend in life with the place I come from and the place I’ve been. If I begin dropping now, I’m nonetheless a legend in my hood. That’s all I care about.”

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KingReyJr was making reads in Tekken earlier than he may learn books

KingReyJr was competing in tournaments even sooner than Noah was, going to his first Tekken event when he was 5. Nevertheless, his journey began even earlier, at solely two and a half years outdated, when his father seen one thing actually particular.

KingReySr, Rey’s father, would host Tekken 5 classes in his residence, and Junior would pull up a chair and watch. He was barely sufficiently old to talk however was already analyzing the sport deeper than anybody thought.

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Older Tekken titles have a joke character known as Mokujin that mimics the strikes of a random character on the roster, and that moveset modifications each single spherical. The problem is determining which character you bought caught with. Within the case of the unique Tekken 5, it will have been 32 completely different characters.

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Earlier than he was even in Kindergarten, KingReyJr may determine who round 80% of the solid was from their animations alone.

“Mokujin popped up on the display, he began shifting, and Junior pointed on the display,” KingReySr informed me. “He stated, ‘That’s Steve Fox!’ We had been blown away with the truth that he knew who it was simply based mostly on the motion. I had by no means sat down and taught him the names of the characters.”

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KingReySr took this as an indication that he needed to train his son how you can play Tekken, that there was expertise there he needed to refine. He then entered his son in his very first event at 5 years outdated. Now, he’s a world-class participant at simply 19.

After years of dedication, competing full-time in Tekken has turn out to be KingReyJr’s first actual job.

“By no means labored a ‘reputable’ job. Vitality is the primary official job I’ve truly had,” Rey informed me. Even at 19, he’s acquired extra time beneath his belt than most combating sport professionals.

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“I’ve simply grown into it, I used to be born into this and raised in it. I’ve been part of the FGC for 14, occurring 15 years, I used to be actually molded and formed by it,” KingReyJr defined.

However, in contrast to Noah’s dad and mom, having good grades was a should for Rey Sr. The second KingReyJr’s grades dropped, Tekken was over. And even then, he needed to show he was nonetheless placing effort into enhancing within the sport, particularly contemplating his dad was paying for him to journey worldwide.

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“I’ve at all times seen it as an funding in [my son’s] future. Granted, there at all times wanted to be issues in place like retaining his grades up, doing properly in class,” Rey’s father defined. “After which, on prime of that, exhibiting that he’s at all times attempting to enhance. It didn’t make sense for me to place him in occasions the place he wasn’t frequently attempting to enhance his sport and get higher.”

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I requested KingReyJr if he felt like being within the FGC modified his life, however he doesn’t actually know of some other way of life. He’s been within the FGC from the very starting.

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“I sort of don’t know the rest. I used to be rising within the FGC my entire life. That is sort of the one factor that I do know. However, I imply, I’m proud of the place I got here from, proud of how I grew as much as be the place I’m as we speak,” he defined.

“I’ve been prepared for one thing like this for what appears like my entire life. Even at VS Combating 2024 – trigger that was my first time making it to Prime 8 at a giant event ever – I nonetheless managed to get second.”

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VS Combating is considered one of Europe’s largest competitions, and KingReyJr’s 2024 efficiency is probably going a giant a part of what landed him his sponsorship with Vitality. A North American participant demolishing a European main was virtually exceptional on the time, particularly since Fergus, considered one of Europe’s greatest rivals, performs the identical character as Rey.

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I informed him I’d anticipate gamers over there to know how you can play towards him due to that, and Rey had this to say in reply:

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“They don’t know how you can play towards me.”

KingReyJr and NoahTheProdigy might have an identical background, however they’re two very completely different individuals. Nevertheless, there are two distinct similarities: Each males labored extremely laborious to get the place they’re, and their fathers did every thing they may to assist that journey. There’s no “appropriate” strategy to be a mum or dad, however that is about as shut because it will get.

The subsequent greatest combating sport gamers on the planet are in all probability hitting their first Evo this yr due to months of begging their dad and mom to pay for it.

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NoahTheProdigy’s journey with Road Fighter and KingReyJr’s journey with Tekken haven’t solely given them careers most individuals can solely dream about, however these experiences have additionally molded them into males their fathers may be pleased with.

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