It’s no secret that North America struggles in virtually each esport. As aggressive gaming has taken the worldwide stage, the area has been left behind. This makes the story of combating recreation heavyweights, NoahTheProdigy and KingReyJr, an anomaly.
These NA prodigies had been competing in tournaments in opposition to adults once they had been nonetheless in elementary college. Each additionally grew up as one in all three siblings, with their fathers getting as concerned as they might to assist them obtain their desires regardless of attempting to lift two different youngsters on the identical time.Article continues after advert
Of their respective combating video games, they’re carrying NA on their again as full-time professional gamers, managing to show combating video games into their job earlier than they turned 20.
NoahTheProdigy had the very best NA placement at each Capcom Cup 11 and EWC for Road Fighter 6, and KingReyJr is the very best ranked NA participant on the Tekken 8’s 2025 World Tour. They’re altering the storyline of their complete area.Article continues after advert
However, after sitting down with and speaking to them, it’s clear that there’s much more separating these two than the sport they compete in. Simply because they each grew up within the combating recreation neighborhood doesn’t imply they’ve the identical story.Article continues after advert
NoahTheProdigy determined being a Road Fighter professional was the one possibility
NoahTheProdigy has been making headlines since he was in grade college. Coming into his first event at seven years outdated, he’s been competing for over a decade. And, in keeping with him, being a Road Fighter professional was his solely plan. He wouldn’t have accepted the rest.
“I by no means had a backup plan. That is 100%. You probably have a backup plan, meaning your plan A isn’t ok and also you’re not assured sufficient,” he mentioned.Article continues after advert
“Solely b*tches quit. Should you quit, you’re a b*tch.”
Noah’s method is a brazen one, and one which hardly ever works out in esports. No backup plans, no compromises, only a full dedication to competing and getting higher. However hardly ever doesn’t essentially imply by no means.Article continues after advert
His father absolutely supported him on this journey, encouraging him to focus much less on college and extra on Road Fighter.
As a substitute of homework, Noah was learning the Road Fighter GOATs. His father Moises inspired him to chase his desires and by no means quit on them, it doesn’t matter what anybody advised him.Article continues after advert
“I defined to [Noah] ‘There’s gonna be crowds yelling and all that and all you do is tune ’em out and simply focus.’ You simply have to show your child what’s proper, improper. Noah, when he loses, you realize what I say to him? ‘That is what it’s known as, son. You’re taking a licking and carry on ticking,’” Moises mentioned in an interview with Large Bomb all the best way again in 2011.
NoahTheProdigyNoah’s father obtained a custom-printed shirt simply to cheer his son on at tournaments when he was youthful
Even earlier than esports was a possible profession path, Noah’s father supported him. When it did change into an actual risk, his father supported him much more, shopping for him a brand new PC setup throughout 2020’s lockdowns so he had a great setup to play on and make content material.Article continues after adArticle continues after advert
Moises’ never-back-down mentality caught with Noah, even by means of more durable instances when he needed to work no matter job he might get to remain afloat and show he was critical about Road Fighter.
“I used to be working some sh*tty-ass jobs, I ain’t gonna lie. However I at all times knew that it was gonna work out.”
From there, Noah grinded till he lastly obtained signed with Twisted Minds in 2024 and was in a position to flip his dream right into a full-time job at 19. Now, he’s looking for out how you can put North America on prime of Road Fighter.Article continues after advert
“I wouldn’t say I’m the very best. This enterprise is simply onerous. It’s onerous to win. I imply, Japan is so sturdy, I feel as of proper now they’re simply higher than us. They gained Road Fighter League. They positioned method greater than us within the Esports World Cup. They gained Capcom Cup,” Noah defined.Article continues after advert
“America has an ego, they usually don’t know how you can management it. That’s why we don’t get higher.”Article continues after advert
Although Noah talks lots of trash and usually calls folks out, he tries to maintain issues surface-level and focus his criticisms on his and his opponents’ shared career, Road Fighter. The trash speak is simply a part of his persona, and he’s loads nicer in particular person than you’d suppose from scrolling his Twitter timeline.
Noah cheering on some Road Fighter gamers between his swimming pools matches at Combo Breaker 2025
“I’m a very nice man. I solely speak sh*t on Twitter as a result of it’s stuffed with b*tches. I imply, they don’t perceive me as a result of, like, they’ve school tuitions arrange. They don’t perceive my background and what I got here from,” he defined.Article continues after advert
Whereas Noah has ambitions of successful the largest occasions on the planet, he already feels a deep sense of satisfaction in what he’s been in a position to obtain and utilizing his abilities to uplift himself, his household, and his neighborhood.Article continues after advert
“I’m already a legend in life with the place I come from and the place I’ve been. If I begin dropping now, I’m nonetheless a legend in my hood. That’s all I care about.”Article continues after advert
KingReyJr was making reads in Tekken earlier than he might learn books
KingReyJr was competing in tournaments even sooner than Noah was, going to his first Tekken event when he was 5. Nonetheless, his journey began even earlier, at solely two and a half years outdated, when his father observed one thing actually particular.
KingReySr, Rey’s father, would host Tekken 5 classes in his residence, and Junior would pull up a chair and watch. He was barely sufficiently old to talk however was already analyzing the sport deeper than anybody thought.Article continues after advert
KingReySr recording his son’s match in opposition to E1P1C, one in all Chicago’s finest Tekken gamers, at Scrims Gaming Middle
Older Tekken titles have a joke character known as Mokujin that mimics the strikes of a random character on the roster, and that moveset modifications each single spherical. The problem is determining which character you bought caught with. Within the case of the unique Tekken 5, it could have been 32 totally different characters.Article continues after advert
Earlier than he was even in Kindergarten, KingReyJr might determine who round 80% of the forged was from their animations alone.
“Mokujin popped up on the display, he began transferring, and Junior pointed on the display,” KingReySr advised me. “He mentioned, ‘That’s Steve Fox!’ We had been blown away with the truth that he knew who it was simply primarily based on the motion. I had by no means sat down and taught him the names of the characters.”Article continues after advert
KingReySr took this as an indication that he needed to educate his son how you can play Tekken, that there was expertise there he needed to refine. He then entered his son in his very first event at 5 years outdated. Now, he’s a world-class participant at simply 19.
After years of dedication, competing full-time in Tekken has change into KingReyJr’s first actual job.
“By no means labored a ‘reputable’ job. Vitality is the primary official job I’ve truly had,” Rey advised me. Even at 19, he’s obtained extra time below his belt than most combating recreation execs.Article continues after adArticle continues after advert
“I’ve simply grown into it, I used to be born into this and raised in it. I’ve been part of the FGC for 14, happening 15 years, I used to be actually molded and formed by it,” KingReyJr defined.
However, not like Noah’s mother and father, having good grades was a should for Rey Sr. The second KingReyJr’s grades dropped, Tekken was over. And even then, he needed to show he was nonetheless placing effort into bettering within the recreation, particularly contemplating his dad was paying for him to journey worldwide.Article continues after advert
“I’ve at all times seen it as an funding in [my son’s] future. Granted, there at all times wanted to be issues in place like maintaining his grades up, doing nicely at school,” Rey’s father defined. “After which, on prime of that, exhibiting that he’s at all times attempting to enhance. It didn’t make sense for me to place him in occasions the place he wasn’t frequently attempting to enhance his recreation and get higher.”Article continues after advert
I requested KingReyJr if he felt like being within the FGC modified his life, however he doesn’t actually know of every other way of life. He’s been within the FGC from the very starting.Article continues after advert
“I type of don’t know the rest. I used to be rising within the FGC my complete life. That is type of the one factor that I do know. However, I imply, I’m pleased with the place I got here from, pleased with how I grew as much as be the place I’m immediately,” he defined.
“I’ve been prepared for one thing like this for what looks like my complete life. Even at VS Preventing 2024 – trigger that was my first time making it to High 8 at a giant event ever – I nonetheless managed to get second.”Article continues after advert
VS Preventing is one in all Europe’s largest competitions, and KingReyJr’s 2024 efficiency is probably going a giant a part of what landed him his sponsorship with Vitality. A North American participant demolishing a European main was virtually extraordinary on the time, particularly since Fergus, one in all Europe’s finest opponents, performs the identical character as Rey.Article continues after advert
I advised him I’d count on gamers over there to know how you can play in opposition to him due to that, and Rey had this to say in reply:Article continues after advert
“They don’t know how you can play in opposition to me.”
KingReyJr and NoahTheProdigy might have an analogous background, however they’re two very totally different folks. Nonetheless, there are two distinct similarities: Each males labored extremely onerous to get the place they’re, and their fathers did all the things they might to help that journey. There’s no “appropriate” approach to be a father or mother, however that is about as shut because it will get.
The subsequent finest combating recreation gamers on the planet are in all probability hitting their first Evo this yr because of months of begging their mother and father to pay for it.Article continues after advert
NoahTheProdigy’s journey with Road Fighter and KingReyJr’s journey with Tekken haven’t solely given them careers most individuals can solely dream about, however these experiences have additionally molded them into males their fathers could be happy with.Article continues after advert
