It’s not a hidden fact: North America often lags behind in most eSports. With competitive gaming becoming increasingly popular worldwide, it seems that this region is playing catch-up. However, the exceptional stories of fighting game specialists, NoahTheProdigy and KingReyJr, stand out as exceptions to this rule.
These exceptional youngsters from NA participated in tournaments against grown-ups even while they were still attending elementary school. Furthermore, they all grew up alongside two other siblings, and their fathers played a significant role in supporting their aspirations, as they juggled the responsibility of raising multiple children simultaneously.
As professional gamers specializing in fighting games, they’ve both made it possible for gaming to become their primary occupation before they reached the age of 20, with NA tagging along as a constant companion.
In simple terms, NoahTheProdigy and KingReyJr are setting new standards in their respective regions for Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8. They’ve achieved the top North American rankings at Capcom Cup 11 and EWC, as well as the Tekken 8’s 2025 World Tour, respectively. Their victories are significantly impacting the narratives of their gaming communities.
After conversing with them, it’s evident that there are many differences between them beyond just the sport they play. Sharing a background in the fighting game community doesn’t necessarily make their life narratives identical.
NoahTheProdigy decided being a Street Fighter pro was the only option
Since childhood, NoahTheProdigy has garnered attention, starting his competitive journey at the tender age of seven. Over the past dozen years, he’s been participating in tournaments and, as he himself claims, becoming a Street Fighter professional was his sole ambition. He wouldn’t have considered any other path.
He expressed, “I didn’t develop a secondary option. I’m fully committed to this, one hundred percent. Having an alternative strategy implies that you don’t think your primary plan is strong enough or that you lack confidence in it.
“Only b*tches give up. If you give up, you’re a b*tch.”
Noah’s strategy is bold and usually unsuccessful in the world of esports. He avoids contingency plans and concessions, instead focusing entirely on competition and self-improvement. However, it’s important to note that ‘rarely’ does not always equate to ‘never’.
His dad wholeheartedly backed him during this adventure, urging him to devote more time to Street Fighter instead of academic pursuits.
Instead of doing traditional homework, Noah was delving into the top players (Greatest Of All Time or GOATs) of Street Fighter. His dad, Moises, continuously motivated him to pursue his aspirations wholeheartedly and persistently, regardless of any advice to the contrary.
In a 2011 interview with Giant Bomb, Moises expressed, “I told [Noah], ‘There will be people shouting and chaos, but you need to ignore it and concentrate.’ As a parent, you just have to teach your child what’s right and wrong. When Noah loses, I tell him, ‘This is a lesson, son. You take a hit and keep moving forward.’
Before the notion of esports as a viable profession was recognized, Noah’s father had always been behind him. As it turned out to be a genuine career opportunity, his father’s support intensified, providing him with a new PC setup during the lockdowns in 2020, ensuring he had an optimal setup for gaming and content creation.
Noah found inspiration in Moises’ unwavering spirit, particularly during tough periods when he had to take on various jobs just to keep going and demonstrate his commitment to Street Fighter.
I had been taking on less than desirable jobs, let’s be honest about it. Yet, deep down, I always believed that everything would turn out for the best.
Subsequently, Noah persevered until he ultimately secured a contract with Twisted Minds in the year 2024, which enabled him to transform his aspiration into a full-time profession at the age of 19. Currently, he’s endeavoring to determine strategies to make North America the leading contender in Street Fighter.
Noah expressed that he doesn’t claim to be the best, but rather acknowledges the challenging nature of this business. He mentioned that it’s tough to outperform others, especially when facing strong competitors like Japan. As of now, he believes Japan is superior due to their recent victories in Street Fighter League, Esports World Cup, and Capcom Cup.
“America has an ego, and they don’t know how to control it. That’s why we don’t get better.”
Despite Noah frequently engaging in banter and critiques, he generally confines his discussions to the realm of their shared occupation, Street Fighter. His outspoken nature is simply a part of who he is, and contrary to what might be assumed from his Twitter posts, he comes across as more amiable in real-life interactions.
Noah cheering on some Street Fighter players between his pools matches at Combo Breaker 2025He said, “I’m genuinely kind-hearted. However, I sometimes use harsh language on Twitter because it can be filled with uncomprehending individuals. In essence, they might not grasp me due to factors such as their financial stability, like having college tuitions set up. They may lack understanding of my past and the circumstances I grew up in.
Though Noah aspires to conquer the largest global competitions, he finds a profound contentment in the accomplishments he’s made so far and utilizes his talents to elevate himself, his loved ones, and his neighborhood.
I’ve achieved greatness and recognition in my journey so far, and no matter what happens next, I remain a local legend in my community. That’s all that truly matters to me.
KingReyJr was making reads in Tekken before he could read books
KingReyJr began participating in tournaments before Noah did, attending his initial Tekken tournament at the tender age of five. Yet, his remarkable journey had commenced much earlier – at just 2.5 years old, when his father discerned a unique talent within him.
KingReySr, also known as Rey’s dad, often organized Tekken 5 gaming events at home. Young Rey, not even old enough to talk much yet, would sit and watch these games. However, he was already showing signs of understanding the game more profoundly than people expected.
KingReySr recording his son’s match against E1P1C, one of Chicago’s best Tekken players, at Scrims Gaming CenterIn earlier versions of Tekken, there’s a comical figure named Mokujin who copies the moves of a random character from the roster, and this moveset changes each round. The trick is identifying which character you’re matched against. In the original Tekken 5, for instance, it could be any of the 32 characters in the game.
Even before he started kindergarten, KingReyJr had a knack for identifying approximately 80% of the characters based solely on their animation styles.
According to KingRyse Sr., Mokujin appeared on the screen, began moving, and he (KingRyse Sr.) indicated towards the screen. He exclaimed, “That’s Steve Fox!” We were astonished that he recognized it just from the movement, as I hadn’t previously taught him the names of the characters.
KingReySr perceived this instance as an indication that it was necessary for him to instruct his son on the art of playing Tekken, sensing raw talent within him that needed polishing. Subsequently, he enrolled his son in his initial tournament at the tender age of five. Today, at the age of 19, he has reached the pinnacle as a globally acclaimed player in this game.
After years of dedication, competing full-time in Tekken has become KingReyJr’s first real job.
At 19 years old, Rey shared with me that this was his first “officially recognized” job. He’s been around longer than many professional fighting game players.
Moving from being a spectator to becoming a teammate – that’s where KingReyJr_ now belongs in our ranks, joining forces with Jeondding_tk!
— Team Vitality 🐝 (@TeamVitality) May 13, 2025
KingReyJr explained that he’s deeply rooted in it, having both grown into it and been born into it. He’s been a member of the FGC for about 14 or 15 years now, and it has significantly influenced his development and shaping.
However, unlike Noah’s parents, excellent grades were non-negotiable for Rey Sr. The instant KingReyJr’s grades fell, Tekken (his gaming career) came to an end. Even then, he needed to demonstrate his ongoing dedication to improving in the game, given that his father was financing his travels around the world.
As a gamer dad, I’ve viewed it as a long-term investment for my son. Of course, maintaining good grades and excelling academically is crucial. But beyond that, demonstrating a constant drive to enhance his skills was essential. It didn’t seem right to enroll him in competitions if he wasn’t consistently striving for improvement and aiming to get better at his craft.
I inquired whether belonging to the Fighting Game Community (FGC) had significantly altered KingReyJr’s life, but he admitted that he couldn’t envision existing outside of it since he’s been a part of it since its inception.
He shared that since he was brought up within the Fighting Game Community (FGC), it’s essentially the only area of expertise he possesses. However, he expressed contentment about his past and current state, having grown from his upbringing.
For quite some time, I’ve felt prepared for an opportunity such as this. At the VS Fighting 2024 event – marking my debut in the Top 8 of a major competition – I still found myself earning the runner-up position.
KingReyJr’s impressive performance at the 2024 VS Fighting competition in Europe played a significant role in securing his sponsorship with Vitality. It was unusual for a North American player to outshine European major players, especially since Fergus, one of Europe’s top competitors, also plays the same character as Rey at that time.
Given that, I assume the players over there would understand how to counter him, don’t you think?
“They don’t know how to play against me.”
KingReyJr and NoahTheProdigy might share a common past, yet they’re two unique individuals. Interestingly, they both put in an immense amount of effort to reach their current positions, and their fathers were actively involved in nurturing their respective journeys. While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to parenting, the support these men received from their fathers comes pretty close.
This year, many promising fighting game players around the globe might be attending Evo for the first time, having spent months convincing their parents to cover the costs.
The journeys of NoahTheProdigy in Street Fighter and KingReyJr in Tekken not only brought them careers that many aspire to, but these experiences have also shaped them into individuals their fathers can take pride in.
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2025-06-15 19:19