AmirXL Q&A

AmirXL

What’s your name and its origin?
	AmirXL. When I was younger I played a lot of mmos and arpgs like Diablo 1,2 Ultima Online Everquest and Dark age of Camelot. I always liked the Warrior type classes. I wasn't good with nick names so I ended up just wanting to use my real name with something sorta beefy or strongman sounding. XL being extra large in beefy way , not like a overweight way lol.

How long is your history with 3rd Strike?
	I lived in NYC at the time when 3rd Strike came out. I was lucky to play with players like Eddie lee / Henry Cen and many others. Most of NYC at the time wanted to pick the cheap stuff so everyone played Ken and Chun. Yun at the time wasn't figured out until we saw more Japanese footage. So I ended up playing Chun since.

Where is your home arcade?
	FFA (Family Fun Arcade) is where I played the most when I moved back to Los Angeles after NYC. They've been closed down for awhile now and the last couple years in Los Angeles, were lucky to have a couple places to play on cabinet. Don's Arcade/Barcode/Boiler/ are the places I still try to go to the most.

How did you start playing 3rd Strike?
	I've played every Street Fighter since release. When Street Fighter 3 came out I really liked the art style and it felt fresh and different. I wasn't very good at them in the beginning and took it a lot more seriously when I moved to LA and started attending FFA. Short story there was a scrub machine and a lot of Egos and I couldn't play with the best at the time. I wanted to make it to where I could play on the big boy cabinets and beat them in tournament one day =)

Who’s your main and why?
	Chun because she felt comfortable at the time. You can play her aggressive and defensive. Mainly based off NYC. Lately I've been wanting to switch the last couple years. Players are so much stronger now adays than a decade ago. I'm not sure I'll be sticking to her after this 3S0 though we'll see.

Which players do you respect/admire?
	Daigo at his prime was probably the most inspiring. His movement and speed was insane. KO vs Daigo is still one of my favorite matches to watch to date.
	victOly Dudley because he always took the time to study and write down stuff in a little notepad (Very few players do this and it's extremely helpful) He spent a lot of time improving his Dudley. I respect Dudley players overall since I feel like he's a hard character to master.
	As of recent I respect NicaKO for training everyone and wanting everyone to improve, this is the way to reach the highest level of competition. No hiding tech/ No insane egos/ training for all who want to improve.
	5 Star as well since he got players in LA to meet up more often and train. He actually coached us too which leveled us up a lot.
	Lastly Yomoda. He's probably my favorite player in 2026. Makes me want to switch to Dudley after 3S0 and attempt to be even remotely close.

Who do you consider your rival(s)?
	This ones a tough one. in the FFA days it use to be Pyrolee mainly followed by 5 star and Ken I.
	Nowadays honestly I think it's Btran. It's friendly rivalry and he pushes me to want to get better. He's leveled up crazily in the last couple years and hopefully I can compete with him and the rest of Cali for many years to come.

Which new players has your attention?
	If I could give an award to most leveled up and players to watch out for it's Resolve and BOA hands down.
	Some others I'd like to mention that aren't exactly new to the scene but making statements as of late are POE/Raven/EnV. Gonna be a blast to watch them all compete at 3S0 this year.

Are there any matches that left an impression on you/memorable matches?
	Plenty. Most recently just playing Yomoda/Mimora/SHO made me realize how much work I need to put in to compete against some of the best. It was also crazy to see Yomodas FT5's and tourney play last year at 3S0. Very inspiring.

What’s one adjustment you’d make to 3rd Strike?
	This might sound crazy but make everyone have one super per round with the exact length in bar for all chars.

Give us your self analysis.
	I've been competing in 3rd Strike for almost two decades on and off. I think I've proven I can compete with some of the best in the states. I still want to improve with others and continue growing. One big change I want to make is to have full confidence in a character switch and not worry about tournament results for awhile. I think change is important sometimes and if you have more fun with the game you'll end up improving better overall. Goals would be to make it to Japan next year for a Maniax or Cooperation Cup if it happens again.

What do you think is a fun point of 3rd Strike?
	Team tournaments are always amazing. Playing with friends who want to improve with you. Watching high level matches of any character. High pressure tournament matches feel great (for me at least lol) 3s overall has such an amazing community and even more potential to improve on all levels, that's what makes the game so great and worth investing in long term.

Will you continue 3rd Strike in the future?
	100% as long as I can. I don't plan on retiring or giving up anytime soon. I have to try to make the 30th anniversary and still make it out to Japan to compete one day.

Any last words?
	Play 3s, it's a good game. Also BOLD Prediction for 3S0 2026, Chun wont make top 4 (lol lemmi gloat and switch chars comfortably)