Another Vortex Gallery - their second online entry - is in the books. I've been going through a lot of personal stuff that lead me to losing my interest in fighting games for a while. I had big plans for guides, exhibitions, and more, but I had to drop all that. I was fortunate enough to be able to run 2 games: Samurai Shodown 3 and Dan-Ku-Ga. If there's one thing I can say for sure, Vortex Gallery rekindled that spark in me.
People find themselves in the fighting game community for a variety of reasons. Whether you want to have fun, challenge yourself, or have something to prove, you have to love what you do. That said, nobody's immune to burnout, and I had just about had it after November. I put in a lot of effort to organize and promote Karnov's Revenge, a game I maintain is better than Street Fighter 2, or if I'm being nice, criminally overlooked. My reward, besides the game dying down soon after, was macros-on-fightcade discourse in my mentions. I've since patched things up so I won't go into detail, but that was the event that inspired me to drop twitter, by and large.
In its early stages, Vortex Gallery Online 2023 provided me a platform to run a bunch of games I hadn't touched in a while. I was supposed to do Dan-Ku-Ga, Double Dragon '95, Ring of Destruction and Samurai Shodown 3. While I found a friend to take over Double Dragon, our plans fell apart for RoD when my streamer got a promotion at his job. I wouldn't feel right asking him to take time out of his busy schedule, so it goes. This is where I get to my point: being involved in community means caring for other people outside of their "role". I'm a tournament organizer (and previously streamer), but I'm also a friend, and that goes for many members of Vortex Gallery's staff. I don't think I'd be involved if Shiburizu wasn't vouching for me, and I can't thank him enough (at least 'til we meet at Evo).
I was lucky enough to be able to return for SS3 and DKG, and I'm glad I did. The former was as chaotic as it was when I fell in love with the game - with its community - back in 2019. Back then, I decided to stream this shitty little game we all cared too much about and it helped me make many long-lasting friendships. It's not really about the game itself, though I have a lot of fun playing SS3 because it's silly. Rather, every time we streamed, posted, and took part in a larger event, it was an opportunity to put myself out there. Streaming in the FGC helped me meet the Fraud Krew, ACP, and many more as I expanded into new games. We got stupid for the first time in a while on commentary, the 4 of us.
On the other hand, DKG was a more serious event. I can't take credit for it, but I like to think part of why the game finally got an official release was due to our efforts. Dan-Ku-Ga had gone unnoticed for nearly 20 years before I picked it up in 2020. During the stream, I had to reflect on the state of the game, which made up a third of my tournaments on Challonge (39/113). I had written the majority of the wiki, but not discovered most of the tech - that went to a New York legend named Zar. He'd always been harsh on the community, and I can't blame him for being frustrated when people approached recklessly. He doesn't play anymore, but he taught me a lot as a player so I can't feel too bad for myself.
Even when things don't go the way you want them to, you can make something out of it. Case in point, my streamer Toast Rider told me that my early work with Dan-Ku-Ga brought him back to fighting games. It really reminded me that what I'm doing matters to people. This is why I started streaming and getting more and more involved in fighting games. We're not just here to mindlessly grind at something, but to share an experience. The learning, the laughs, the hardship all comes with being in a space for long enough. I'm glad I found fighting games, and I look forward to future events, even if I'm not ready to start streaming regularly yet.
I'm looking to attend GOML and Evo this year. I filled out a staff form for Anime North so we'll see where that goes. I can't wait to meet people and host a couple more offline tournaments!