Kakeru, a top Street Fighter 6 player and recent Capcom Cup winner, has unexpectedly retired because of health problems affecting his nervous system.
Kakeru Watanabe is a 28-year-old professional Street Fighter competitor who began to gain prominence as Street Fighter V neared its end, especially after the start of the pandemic.
He began to stand out after the release of Street Fighter 6 in 2023, quickly becoming a prominent Japanese competitor. He even achieved a top-four finish at Evo that year, placing among the best players out of a field of around 7,000.
Despite his earlier success, 2024 proved to be a landmark year for him. He secured second place at both Evo Japan and Topanga Cup, and then capped it off by winning Capcom Cup, the most prestigious Street Fighter tournament of the year.
Kakeru had a strong year, placing in the Top 8 at Red Bull Kumite and finishing second to two-time Capcom Cup winner MenaRD at Evo 2025. However, he began to struggle at the Esports World Cup in August.
So, out of nowhere, Kakeru had to drop out of the competition – he said it was really bad food poisoning and he needed to go to the hospital. Things were pretty quiet for him after that, but then in October he announced something that totally shocked everyone in the gaming community.
Kakeru retires after neurological dysfunction diagnosis
Kakeru was supposed to play in the Street Fighter League, a team competition that began in August, but he couldn’t participate because of health issues that first appeared at the Esports World Cup.
On October 22nd, Kakeru and his team, ZETA Division, shared the news that he’s stepping away from competitive fighting games for the time being. He explained that he’s been dealing with a neurological condition.
“I have decided to retire from my activities as an esports player,” Kakeru wrote in a post on X.
It’s been about two months since we unexpectedly had to stop operations. I’m truly sorry for the worry and trouble this has caused, and I apologize for not being able to share more details until now.
Honestly, I’m still dealing with some serious brain issues – that’s why I had to step away from playing. It’s been tough, and it’s making it impossible to compete at the level I need to right now.
I’m writing to share some personal news. Thank you so much for all of your continued support. As ZETA DIVISION recently announced, I’ve decided to retire as a professional esports player. It’s been about two months since my unexpected hiatus, and after much consideration…
— ZETA Kakeru(翔) (@Kakeru_FGC) October 23, 2025
Neurological dysfunction happens when there’s a problem with how the brain communicates with the body. This can lead to many different symptoms, ranging from mild issues like weakness and headaches, to more serious problems like difficulty with coordination, muscle spasms, and even seizures. The specific symptoms depend on how severe the dysfunction is.
As of now, Kakeru hasn’t shared any details about what happened. The fighting game community is strongly supporting him after hearing this upsetting news, and many are celebrating his successes and the significant impact he’s had on the Street Fighter 6 scene in just a short time.
According to Liquipedia FGC administrator ‘incross,’ Kakeru is currently the top-earning Street Fighter 6 player. He’s incredibly successful in tournaments, winning about 80% of his matches – meaning he almost always avoids losing in professional play.
Kakeru is currently the highest-earning player in Street Fighter 6. He’s consistently performed well at offline tournaments, reaching the top 8 in 14 out of 22 events, including two EVO Grand Finals appearances. Based on data from major tournaments, his overall win rate is approximately 80%.
— incross (@crossknockout) October 24, 2025
Honestly, this guy is a beast. He consistently makes Top 8 at almost every big tournament he enters, which really puts him up there with the best of us. Everyone’s hoping he gets back to playing soon, and I think he’ll come back even stronger when he does.
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2025-10-24 20:49