Calgarian heads to Toronto to compete in esports final at Red Bull gaming studio

Calgary esports player Kaymin is competing in the Red Bull Kumite tournament Saturday in Toronto (Photo courtesy Red Bull)

A Calgarian is competing in a Red Bull esports event Saturday in Toronto that could land him a trip to New York.

Kaymin is among the competitors at Red Bull Kumite, an esports tournament focused on Street Fighter 6.

He’s one of four players to advance through the Red Bull Kumite Canada West qualifying round, to compete in Saturday’s national final.

The winner receives an opportunity to compete in Red Bull Kumite New York. That starts March 16.

“My background in esports has been playing Street Fighter,” Kaymin said in an email to CTV News. “I've been playing competitively since 2013.”

He described Calgary’s esports scene as small but trending up.

“The Calgary esports scene is pretty small, but has been growing within the last year or so,” he said. “Hopefully it continues to grow and give more opportunities for players. My favourite games to play as of now are Street Fighter 6, Call of Duty (and) Warzone.”

He knows who the player to beat in Toronto is.

“My main competition I think is Zhen at the moment,” he said. “(I) think the key to defeating my opponents is to try and overwhelm and take control of the match. If I try to play them safely, it could backfire.”

What would it mean to advance to the New York Red Bull event?

“To advance to Red Bull Kumite New York would just be an affirmation to all the work I’ve been putting into my hobby,” he said. “For anyone watching and cheering (the livestream), I’ll try my best to bring home a win. If I fail, then I’ll be back and stronger than ever.”

Does he drink Red Bull during a game?

“When I'm practicing I usually drink water,” he said. “During competition Red Bull is NEEDED.”

The event is being streamed live from the Red Bull Gaming Studio in Toronto on the Red Bull Twitch Channel, starting at 11 a.m. MST.

The event will be interactive and feature casters and gaming community personalities.

Free tickets are available at Eventbrite via RedBull.ca/kumite.

For more info, go to redbull.ca.