TNS|PAR|Foxhound

From CEO 2015 all the way until now, I've been enraptured with this community and the friends it gave me along the way. It was a great time talking to Alex about the road so far, check it out and get some Foxy Ball Knowledge!

The many voices of the Beach Episode Matsuri. #bepisode 🏮

For me, this is already a story from a career that spans the past 31 years. I’m probably one of the people in the game industry who has traveled to the largest number of countries and actually met local fan communities in person. So honestly, I’ve been influenced by people and cultures from all over the world. More than race itself, I think I’ve always been influenced by “regional culture” and “organizational culture.” One of the most fascinating moments involving your culture happened in 2019, when I revealed Leroy Smith. (The visual design wasn’t mine, but the original character concept was.) Right after the reveal, I received this message from the American fan community: “Can we… can we invite you to the cookout for making an awesome character like this?” Now, as someone from my generation in Japan, I was actually considered relatively good at reading and writing English. By then I’d already been to North America over 50 times, had maintained the English I learned for university entrance exams, and had been communicating with people on Twitter in English long before translation apps became useful, let alone AI translation. But honestly… when I saw that sentence, I had absolutely no idea what it meant. In fact, my very first reaction was: “Oh no… I’m finished.” Here’s why. Back then I was frequently arguing against articles spreading hate toward video games, and I kept seeing people replying with the word “cooked.” As you know, “cooked” can mean you’re done, finished, or completely destroyed. I also often saw “roasted.” Because of that, I honestly assumed “cookout” was just an even stronger version of “cooked.” So for one terrifying moment, I read it as: “Hey… we… we… can invite you to a party where we’re going to beat you up and roast you?” Even though I thought I knew America pretty well, I genuinely wondered if I’d somehow pressed some invisible cultural button that I wasn’t supposed to touch. Later, I had another misunderstanding. People kept calling me: “You are the fxxking GOAT.” And for about two or three years I honestly thought, “Damn… here’s another guy calling me ‘a fxxking goat… this animal bastard.’ Better ignore the bait.” Some people even replied with 🐐 emojis, so I genuinely believed they were insulting me by calling me an animal. Because of misunderstandings like that, I seriously thought: “Man… getting our characters accepted by Americans is really difficult. They might actually be even more sensitive than Japanese people in many ways. We need to study their culture much more.” Anyway, back to the cookout story. Eventually someone explained that a “cookout” in the African American community is actually one of the highest compliments possible—basically saying: “You’re someone we’d trust enough to invite to our close-knit family BBQ, where only real friends and loved ones are welcome.” That explanation was a huge relief. Then they started showing me BBQ equipment and ingredients… …and I was absolutely shocked that everything was several times bigger than what we have in Japan. Sure, I expected the smoker grills to be huge. But even the tongs and spatulas were enormous, and the meat looked like something I’d only ever seen as loot in an MMORPG. Looking back now, I honestly regret not immediately flying to the U.S. and accepting an invitation to one of those community cookouts. That really was the perfect opportunity. Anyway… I’ve wandered way off topic. Of course I can’t claim that I fully understand what you call Black culture. But if we’re talking about the parts that have genuinely influenced me, the cookout story is certainly one of them. And the people in these photos have also had a significant influence on me. (I’d like to include many more, but I’ll limit it to four photos.)

Millia players will tell you that "Millia mix is reactable" The reactable Millia mix in question:

Had a GREAT time at @BostonBlueBeat, even though I wasn't able to stay long! Longer post later, so tired and SO much to process.

"Dont worry the satsui no hado truck isn't real" The satsui no hado truck:

I give the best dating advice btw

@MrDarkIce94 @BostonBlueBeat It's crazy bro I used to not eat candy because I'm like eh I don't have sweet tooth like that anymore but now it's actually detrimental to my financials lmao

@Foxhoundfl @BostonBlueBeat That...should be illegal. Wtf is that price!

Stuck in Jersey trying to get to @BostonBlueBeat and I just have no words

@TioSetsu @BostonBlueBeat Was a hard choice to make for sure, but I have friends in Boston I really wanted to see

@Foxhoundfl @BostonBlueBeat Shoulda come to beast in the east instead

i hate all tekken peoples

#t8_armorking thanks to @Lil_Majin pointing this out to me, but Armor King can still get the Pick up into Gas! First portion for proof of Kazuya going into crouching guard. It's a Frame perfect situation ( has to be a 28f CD1+2 ) and seems to only be accessible from face down head towards situation!

Some of the comments....lmao. You guys realize that I dont compare everything marvel to a mvc game right? I accept all games with a fresh start and a fresh mindset.

Freaked out Beast Gohan...

This gets way more hype than combos. We got movement. See? It’s not this hard devs, instant good feel when you get a new fighting game. Stop compromising on movement 🤦🏿‍♂️

never forget season 2 day 1 chip damage

LAG IS BACK. The Los Angeles Gathering returns October 23-24, 2026 as an official Virtua Fighter Open Championship qualifier. Join us in Los Angeles for high-level competition, long offline sets, learning, and the close-knit international VF community that makes LAG special.

🌐 New Officially Designated Tournament Added ⚡ #LAG2026 (Los Angeles Gathering), one of North America's premier Virtua Fighter community events, is now an official #VFOC 2026 designated tournament! 🎉 A huge thank you to @adamYUKI and the entire LAG team for their dedication and continued support of the Virtua Fighter community.✨ 📅 October 23-24, 2026 📍 Los Angeles, California🇺🇸

@HelstNYC Yeah it's definitely added a lot of weight to the punches, you can SEE the impact.

Absolutely love how it seems like the core mechanics are all still very intact, just added some grit to the visuals and polish, with no visual fluff. Still not sure about that new limb break mechanic we're seeing, but it's looking like we're in for another classic.