An office worker wins 230 million yen in prize money at the “FATAL FURY” World Championship!

I’m not sure about “e-sports alone…

In 2013, at the “FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves” division of the “SNK World Championship 2025,” an e-sports world championship held in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A., Japanese player Laggia (Laggia) was the only player to make it to the finals, Japanese player Laggia won the championship. He also won the “Fighting Game Player Award” at the “Japan eSports Awards 2025”.

Laggia is usually an office worker at a video game company. We asked him about his daily life as a professional gamer, his approach to winning, and the efforts he makes to win.

–First of all, let me introduce myself.

I am a member of the e-sports team “REJECT,” and I am sponsored by Sanwa Denshi as an individual player. I am a 28-year-old professional gamer who usually works for a game production company.

–At what age did you become a professional gamer?

When I was a university student, I started to be a professional gamer when I was about 20 years old, with the sponsorship of Sanwa Denshi. After graduating from university, I joined my current company and became a salaried worker.

–I guess you have never had the option of becoming a full-time professional gamer?

I became a professional gamer in ’18 or ’19, when the prize money in the e-sports industry, especially in the fighting game division, was not as high as it is now. (laughs).

I thought, “It would be nice if I could do it as a dual job while still working,” and it actually suited me, so I’ve continued to do so.

–What was the first fighting game you got into?

When I lived in China as a child, I played a game called “THE KING OF FIGHTERS ’97” at a video game arcade.

–I played it in a video game arcade when I was a kid in China,” he said.

I played it around 2003. THE KING OF FIGHTERS ’97” is a game that has been loved in China for a very long time, and although it had been on the market for a long time, it was available in game arcades. It was also very popular.

But I wasn’t so much hooked on it. The first game that made me think “I want to become stronger” was “THE KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 UNLIMITED MATCH,” which I encountered when I was a high school student. After that, I seriously played “THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIV (14)” when I was a university student.

–What was the turning point for you?

When I became a university student and moved to Tokyo, that was a big turning point for me. I started living on my own and had some freedom, and Tokyo had a good amount of fighting game tournaments and events, so I felt like I had to practice seriously in order to participate.

–Please tell us about your daily routine.

I get up at 9:00-10:00 a.m., and since my work is mostly remote, I work from home until I get to the end of the day, usually around 6:30 p.m. or so. After work, I start practicing gaming on my PC, then dinner. After that, it’s like another game ……. As soon as the game is over, I go to bed.”

–How much sleep do you get?

I try to get six hours of sleep. Before a tournament, there are days when I have to practice until the wee hours of the morning.

–Do you use your time differently on weekends and holidays?

Of course I play fighting games, but since it is my day off, if there are other games I want to play, I play them. I try to find a reason to go out and try to go out as much as possible. I try to find a good balance.

–Does Laggia have any unique training methods?

I have a dual job, so I try to use my time effectively. Compared to those who have a full-time job, I play fewer games.

–The length of time you can spend playing games is different.

I try to make each game more efficient. I always place importance on image training. Whenever I have a little free time, I try to play the game in my brain, and think, “I wonder if this kind of combo is possible. I try to imagine what would happen if I tried these moves on a daily basis, and if I get a good feeling from them, I try them out in the actual game, and then I select and refine them as I go.

I find myself “thinking about the game.

–Do you have any tips on how to concentrate and how to switch your mindset from daily life to the game?

I’ve been doing it since I was a college student, so it’s like an occupational hazard, but I think the trick is to be so immersed in the game that I find myself thinking about it even if I’m not conscious of it.

–What kind of image do you have in mind?

I think the trick is to have a theme. I think the trick is to be so immersed in the game that I don’t even think about it anymore. Then, ideas will come to me. It is definitely important to keep thinking.

–Do you have a “way of thinking” that is necessary to become a professional gamer?

I think it is to hate to lose. You can think because you are frustrated by losing. If you don’t hate losing, you won’t be so obsessed with it. The frustration of losing…… leads to obsession and ambition. I value the feeling of frustration from losing.

–You mentioned that you value training in order to make the most of your time as a gamer with a dual job.　For example, how to watch game play videos uploaded on YouTube.

I don’t think there is much difference in the way I watch game videos. ” “In this situation, I can do a better move. “In this scene, there could have been a better move, or this sequence of moves could have done more damage, or something like that, so the information you get is not that different.

–How do you make use of game videos?

I think it is the “reading” part. It is not always the same as what the opponent is doing in the video. Rather, I look not at the opponent’s actions themselves, but whether they are just doing what they do out of habit, or whether they are doing it with some kind of “intention” in mind. This is the key point to consider.

Then you will be able to see the other person. It is difficult to discern whether it is a habit or an intention, so I think the most efficient way to view game videos is to hone your sense of discernment.

–So it is more “efficient” to train your “reading” skills.

It depends on the tournament. For example, in an invitational tournament, there are no more than eight opponents. In such a case, it is more efficient to study your opponents and specialize in human readings.

On the other hand, in open tournaments, there may be thousands of potential opponents, so it is better to improve your strength evenly by eliminating mistakes and improving your situational judgment.

–In the SNK World Championship, the first-place winner won about 230 million yen, and the second-place winner won about 46 million yen, a difference of about 184 million yen.

When I was told that the difference was about 190 million yen, at first I thought, “Oh my God, ……,” but once the tournament started, I concentrated on the game and forgot about it.

–But when the game started, I concentrated on the game and forgot about it.

Of course, I felt that way, but when you get to the finals, there are no lenient opponents, so I fought with the mindset of “win 200 million,” rather than “protect 200 million.

–If you had to pick a memorable match, would it have to be the final match where 200 million yen was at stake?

The semi-final match against Xiaohai from China. I had a bad impression of Xiaohai from my most recent loss to him, so it was good that I was able to get through that. I had a feeling of “I had confidence, but I lost,” so I thought, “Why don’t I try again? I had a feeling that I could do it again, but I was able to win, and I realized again that my feeling was not wrong.

–How did you shake off this bad image?

I believed in myself, I believed in my feeling that I could win if I did it one more time. I tried to let go of unnecessary thoughts like, ‘Maybe that was the day Xiaohai was going to win. It’s difficult when you have a bad image of yourself because you don’t win all the time.

–What do you do in such cases?

I just have to let it go and open myself up to it.

–I think it’s not limited to competitive gaming, but there are times when an opponent has you completely cornered, and then you get caught up in the game and turn the tables on them. Is there a way to win when you think, “I’m so close to winning! Is there a way to win when you think, “I’m so close to winning!

Even if the opponent’s strength is down to one dot, I don’t change my basic approach. Rather than thinking, “If I can defend this advantageous situation, then I can win,” I would rather think that my opponent is still at full health, so I can play calmly and make the moves I have usually prepared for.

I think this will reduce the gaps in the opponent’s view. No matter how much of an advantage or disadvantage you have, I think it’s better to feel as if nothing has changed since the start of the round.”

“I get bored if I keep not growing.”

-By the way, how will you spend your prize money?

By the way, how did you spend the prize money? “I had a choice, but I bought a new …… microphone (laughs), a new PC before the tournament, I didn’t buy a house, I didn’t buy a car, I didn’t make any major purchases. I also have to learn about taxes, so I have a long way to go.

–How much money do you usually make as a professional gamer?

I think there are various types of contracts, but in my case it is basically prize money. So it depends on how much I win, and it makes a big difference every year. As a salaried employee, I think I get paid about the average for my age group.

–You have accomplished one big thing. What are your goals for the future?

First of all, I want to win the SNK World Championship again. I also want to win the EWC (eSports World Cup), a big tournament held in Saudi Arabia in the summer.

–Is the character that you have a special place in your heart for Hotaru Futaba, the character you used when you won the SNK Championship?

Of course, I like her as a character, but now that all the characters’ abilities have been adjusted, I’m touching various characters in order to win. After the adjustments, there are so many possibilities for different characters.

–What are you looking forward to right now?

“Rock Howard, who I think is one of the best at the moment.

–What is the most important thing for you to keep up as a dual-career gamer?

I think the most important thing is to stay motivated.

–What do you keep in mind in order not to lose motivation?

I like the phrase, “If you keep on not growing, you will get bored. Growth means change. You have to make sure that you don’t stop and stay the same. I think this will lead to not losing motivation.

I have to be conscious of this, such as intentionally changing the content of my daily matches. If I can grow by trying out what I have image-trained on a daily basis more and more in actual matches, and by making choices, I think I will be able to maintain my motivation. By thinking for myself. I change, and it leads to growth and becomes motivation. I think it is the same for games and work. I think it is the same for games and work.

Professional gamers are becoming the object of admiration because of the higher prize money. However, it is not an easy road (laughs). It is. But I am happy if I have become an object of admiration and if people who are watching me can sense something brilliant about pro-gamers. Please continue to support me.”

Photo and text by Eiichi Otake
Eiichi Otake is a writer and journalist. He covers a wide range of topics, including general subcultures, history, military affairs, and martial arts. His most recent book is the novel “New Ninja Road” (Shogakukan).
https://www.shogakukan.co.jp/books/09453252
X ID: @ootake_eiichi

Image courtesy of REJECT

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