Pro e-sports player KojiKOG’s dramatic meltdown after a loss is now a full-blown meme

At Evolution Championship Series 2025 (Evo 2025) this year, a pro fighting game player’s theatrical meltdown caught the attention of social media, where it has gone viral. During the Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves tournament, Japanese player Kazuyuki “KojiKOG” Koji reacted to a tense loss in a way that was so over-the-top, fans couldn’t look away.

After his loss against opponent Goichi “GO1” Kishida, KojiKOG clutched at his headset and glasses, knocking them askew as he silently screamed his frustration. GO1 stood off to the side, looking excited and a little bit confused at his dramatic win. The moment was shared on social media, including on Evo 2025’s official X account and beyond as folks were inspired by the dramatic expressions on the players’ faces.

@Evo tweeted, “A story in two parts.” It included two images of the competitors after GO1’s win over KojiKOG.

Who is KojiKOG?

KojiKOG is a longtime esports competitor from Japan. He made a name for himself as a player in titles like Street Fighter, Guilty Gear, and King of Fighters. He is known not only for his skill as a player, but also for his over-the-top reactions to them.

Throughout his career, KojiKOG has leaned into the performance. He frequently makes funny faces in post-match interviews, sometimes exaggerating his reactions for laughs. His now-famous scream pose harkens back to another time he and GO1 went head-to-head in a match.

What was the event?

The viral moment occurred during the Winners’ Semi-Final for Fatal Fury: City of Wolves at Evo 2025 in Las Vegas. There are also events held in Japan and France. Evo is the world’s largest fighting game tournament. According to the company’s website, “We’re not just a convention. We’re a global community of more than 10 million casual gamers, esports enthusiasts, and industry professionals dedicated to building a bigger world for fighting games.” 

While GO1 ultimately took both rounds, the match remained neck-and-neck until the end. Shortly after the final blow landed, KojiKOG dropped into his now-iconic pose.

Why did KojiKOG react this way?

Many casual viewers assumed KojiKOG had a real breakdown or panic attack. However, longtime fans knew better, as pointed out by @HiFightTH on X. His over-the-top loss reaction wasn’t spontaneous. It referenced his match against GO1 at Evo 2015 exactly ten years ago, where he struck a nearly identical pose.

At the time in 2015, Japanese commentators were confused by what he was doing because KojiKOG’s sense of comedy wasn’t very well-known. At the time, esports pro Daigo Umehara compared it to a SAW movie victim having a limb cut off. The metaphor stuck with him, and among Japanese fans, it is now nicknamed the “leg cutting incident.” Now, however, it’s understood as part of KojiKOG’s persona: a mix of comedy and drama layered into serious competition.

How KojiKOG crashing out turned into a meme

Even though KojiKOG placed joint fifth in the tournament and won 80% of his matches at Evo 2025, it’s his hilarious reaction to losing that everyone remembers. Clips and screenshots of KojiKOG’s loss reaction are flooding social media. Many viewers are using these images and clips as reaction memes and ways to describe themselves and others in a given situation.

@Dexerto tweeted, “Fatal Fury pro KojiKOG was fighting for his life after dropping a set at Evo 2025.”

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