Adel Anouche considers the upcoming Capcom Cup as another shot at the biggest prize in Street Fighter esports as well as an opportunity to rewrite a personal narrative.
The Algerian-born player, who grew up in Abu Dhabi and competes internationally while representing the UAE, will take part in Capcom Cup 12 in Tokyo this month. The event is the finale of the Capcom Pro Tour circuit and gathers the world’s best players who qualified through tournaments held across multiple regions.
For Anouche, it is also a competition that has long eluded him.
“I’ve been participating in Capcom Cup since 2017,” he says. “I’ve been there every year except the ones that didn’t happen because of Covid. Unfortunately, my best result there has been 17th place. For some reason I always underperform there. It might be a curse. Hopefully this year I get to break it.”
One of Street Fighter’s most prestigious tournaments
Capcom Cup is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious championships in the fighting game community. Organised by Capcom, the developer of the Street Fighter series, it serves as the culminating event of the global Capcom Pro Tour season.
Unlike Evo, the largest fighting game tournament where anyone can enter through an open bracket, Capcom Cup is restricted to players who qualify through professional tournaments during the season. That limited field means only a small group of elite competitors reach the event each year.
The tournament’s profile has grown significantly in recent years, particularly after Capcom introduced a $1 million prize for the winner, the largest payout in fighting game history. For professional players, lifting the Capcom Cup trophy is considered one of the ultimate achievements in competitive Street Fighter.
A leading name from the Middle East
Anouche, who goes by the online moniker Big Bird, has spent more than a decade establishing himself among the world’s top competitors. Known for his mastery of characters such as Ken and Rashid, he has become one of the most successful fighting game players to emerge from the Middle East. He is also sponsored by energy drink giant Red Bull, putting him in the same bracket as athletes such as Max Verstappen, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Anouche's career includes two runner-up finishes at Evo in Street Fighter V and Street Fighter 6. Evo’s open-bracket format means thousands of players can compete, making it one of the most demanding events on the circuit.
“Everyone can enter, so it’s more taxing and stressful and it lasts three days,” Anouche says.
Today he competes under the banner of Reject, a Japanese esports organisation founded in 2018, which fields teams across several titles including Apex Legends, Valorant and Street Fighter.
Anouche and fellow Jordanian star Amjad “AngryBird” Al Shalabi joined the team’s Street Fighter division in 2025, further strengthening the organisation’s roster of global fighting game talent.
Preparation beyond practice
At the highest level of Street Fighter competition, Anouche says the difference between players is often minimal. That means preparation goes far beyond simply playing matches.
Before Capcom Cup begins, players are placed into groups and given the names of their opponents. From there, preparation becomes highly analytical.
“You look at what characters your opponents use. Some players watch their replays, others practise against that character with a training partner, and some run drills in training mode” he says.
Training drills often involve programming the game’s practice mode to simulate specific sequences so players can work on reacting to multiple situations.
“Every character has certain sequences they are strong with,” he says. “The drills help you practise reacting to several things at once.”
Still, preparation alone cannot guarantee victory.
“I don’t like to admit it, but luck also plays a big factor,” says Anouche. “Bracket draws, matchups, things like that. But you still must be fully prepared.”
Lessons from the biggest stage
Two of the defining moments of Anouche’s career came in Evo grand finals, where he narrowly missed out on victory.
From those experiences, he says he learnt an important lesson about decision-making under pressure.
“In 2019, I made a rushed decision in the last moment and that’s how I lost,” he says. “In 2024, I learnt the opposite lesson. If you hesitate, you lose as well.”
Anouche says the solution lies in committing to choices.
“You need to make a decision and live with it,” he says. “Even if it turns out wrong, it’s better than hesitating.”
Inspiring a new generation
When Anouche first started competing internationally, the Middle East had little presence on the global fighting game scene.
“I felt like I was the only one,” he says. “In fighting games, it was basically just me and Tekken Master from Bahrain.”
That has changed significantly in recent years, as more players from the UAE and Saudi Arabia have begun travelling to major international tournaments.
Anouche says younger competitors often approach him after seeing his journey from a local scene to the global stage.
“They see my story and believe they can do the same,” he says. “You don’t need a huge community. You just need a few dedicated training partners who share the same motivation.”
Chasing the missing title
Despite his consistent results and international reputation, Anouche says one goal still remains.
“I came close twice at Evo, but it didn’t work out. Hopefully this year I can win one of the big tournaments,” he says.
For now, his attention is fixed firmly on Capcom Cup and the stage that has long proved elusive, as Anouche hopes Tokyo will finally be the place where his losing streak ends.
