EVO 2019 is off to a great start so far with thousands of players currently engaged in the fiercest competition in the world, and among them all, Dominique "SonicFox" McLean is the man to beat. After years of competition and numerous first-place victories at past EVO events for Injustice: Gods Among Us in 2014, Mortal Kombat X in 2015 and 2016, and others, SonicFox will attempt to be the first-ever EVO champion for the newly-released Mortal Kombat 11.
SonicFox is by no means a one-trick pony, and it should be noted that he excels at many fighting games. We begin by looking at his performance in SoulCalibur VI, which has already concluded.
SoulCalibur VI
Most people who watch esports with a passing glance may only recognize SonicFox from the Mortal Kombat scene and not realize that he is deep into almost any fighting game that exists. The video below shows a textbook case of SonicFox starting off a bit slow during ECT 2018, only to come back from a massive deficit and take a best of 5 match with style and finesse.
At EVO 2019, SonicFox recently tweeted that he had already participated and finished with SoulCalibur VI, saying that now is time to get serious, but which he likely means getting ready for the first rounds of Mortal Kombat 11.
Out in SC6! Lost to Lola and Boom! Got 33rd at Evo!! That was fun, but my real focus is now on >:O
— FOX | SonicFox (@SonicFox5000) August 3, 2019
Dragon Ball FighterZ
SonicFox has been no stranger to the relatively new entry into the Fighting Game Community (FGC) with Dragon Ball FighterZ. When the game first came out, SonicFox was known for rejecting the most common and popular strategies of the time to great effect, though few could replicate his skill with characters not considered to be the best at the launch of the game.
As SonicFox often does before a tournament, there are plenty of his archived Vods on YouTube and Twitch showing off his skill and new favorites. With Mortal Kombat 11, fans are hoping to see some high-end Shang Tsung play, and in Dragon Ball FighterZ we may see the same team he was practicing with recently consisting of Goku Black, Kid Buu, and Bardock.
For those who watched SonicFox play last year, his former opponent, Goichi 'GO1' Kishida, is placed in the same bracket this year and fans have a grudge match to look forward to as a rematch of the outstanding final set from EVO 2018.
Mortal Kombat 11
Without a doubt, this will be the big one that everyone is watching. From the moment the game launched in April, SonicFox has sought to dominate every competition, and he has succeeded in quite a few. Doing so will mean surpassing 1,574 other entrants all vying for that top spot. With that in mind, SonicFox showed off his domination of the competition early on, sweeping the first official tournament after the release of the game over Dragon 3-0, taking the championship home with a stylish Brutality.
As esports has grown continuously in the past few years, we also see sports betting on the outcome of events like EVO more often now. Currently, SonicFox is slotted as most likely to win the tournament for MK11, with Denom "A F0xy Grampa" Jones listed as the next most likely player to take home the championship.
The reason for such great odds in favor of SonicFox is simple when considering the history of his performance. Since the game has launched, SonicFox has won every tournament he has entered, or come in the top three without exception.
Whoever SonicFox faces, the competition will certainly be fierce. Hayetei, Scar, Deoxys, RZA, Tekken Master, DizzyTT, Tweedy, Kombat, NYChrisG, Semiij, Biohazard, and DJT are all top contenders for the top spot. Ultimately, many want to see if SonicFox will stick with his usual selections, which often focus on Jacqui Briggs for her outstanding rush techniques, or if he will break out Shang Tsung in his first-ever tournament legal variation since being released into the game.
If SonicFox is not yet comfortable with the sorcerer, of which the Warlock variant is what he was streaming in his Vods, we are likely to see him stick to his safe picks. There is such a strong case for Shang Tsung however when considering SonicFox and his playstyle. Asides from having great zoning potential in the Warlock variation, we have seen SonicFox mirror his opponent's character selection in past tournaments.
In part, this was a great mind game, which was basically stating, “Choose whoever you like, I’ll beat you with your best character.” Imagine how pumped the crowd would be to see SonicFox destroy opponent after opponent with a soul-stealing transformation by Shang Tsung and a similar character mirroring.
That’s a bit of a fantasy of this writer, but still, it falls well within the realm of possibility when considering the skill level of SonicFox.
For now, all we can do is wait and see how he does.