ROX Dragons’ Jae Min ‘Knee’ Bae of South Korea is arguably the best Tekken player of all-time. He currently leads the Tekken World Tour standings with 1,370 points and is considered the favorite to win it all. EVO 2018, the world largest fighting game competition, begins tomorrow August 3-5, and to everyone’s surprise Knee will not be there. With the way he has been playiing lately, he was considered the favorite to win it as well. We’re sure many are wondering why he won’t be in attendance, so we caught up with him to find out that very thing.
With 1,544 players, EVO 2018 will be the biggest Tekken tournament ever. Many held you as the favorite to win it. Why have you chosen not to compete this year?
I was surprised by the participation of so many people, but it’s unfortunate that EVO has nothing to do with the Tekken World Tour this year. Last year, first place got an opportunity to go to the Tekken World Tour finals. But this year there are no points to be gained. Street Fighter V is different though. I envy their players. As well, my parents’ vacation and EVO dates overlap. I chose to relax with my family.
I completely understand. We just talked about that in our recent TekkenGamer Blogtable. Is there anyone that you think will win Tekken 7 at EVO? Or, who do you think the Top 3 will be?
This year I was surprised at how many Japanese players are participating. Therefore, the fight will be between the Japanese and Korean players for Top 3. I would really like to see players from other countries in the top too – American or European players.
Do you hope Harada and Michael announce something new about Tekken 7 at EVO? If so, what would you like to see?
I want Tekken 8! I’ve played a lot of Tekken 7, so I really want the next game.
Me too. I hope they reveal something about Tekken x Street Fighter. We’ll see. Who is your favorite character to play these days?
Mainly Bryan, Paul, Devil Jin, Kazuya, Heihachi, Jin and Steve. I’ve used them a lot in tournament.
How are you feeling these days, and are you ready for the rest of the Tekken World Tour?
I’m just resting. Since my Tekken World Tour points are sufficient, the greed for more has been reduced. So, I’m comfortably participating in the tournament. I do not have the pressure to get results. I will still work hard. I’m looking forward to December.
