“The spirit of the FGC is still there”: Cuddle_Core talks old-school gatekeeping, grassroots to mainstream, and making a career out of Tekken

Let’s be uncomfortably honest for a minute. There’s definitely a kind of person that pops into your head when you hear “top Tekken player.” And that person may not look like Jeannail “Cuddle_Core” Carter. But that’s okay, she isn’t here to cater to anybody nor seek their validation.

And stream. And host. And coach. And who knows what else? For Cuddle_Core, being in the FGC scene is more than just competing. It’s a lifestyle for her, but it’s taken a lot to get there. She started competing in 2015 in small local tournaments, but she has since achieved 60 Top 8 placements across huge Tekken tourneys, including Evo, Combo Breaker, and Ultimate FightingArena.

Esports Insider spoke with Cuddle_Core about the changes she’s seen in the FGC throughout the past decade, from grassroots and gatekeeping to a mainstream esports scene. Some of it’s good, some of it’s bad, but nothing seems to really bring her down. In fact, she’s only looking forward.

ESI: My colleague recently wrote about the sexism and creepiness at Combo Breaker 2026, which seems to still be a big issue for the FGC. Do you feel it’s still a bigger issue in the FGC than other mainstream esports scenes even after the “Me Too” movement a few years ago?

Cuddle_Core: Yes, still struggles. It does. Sometimes it feels that, because there is no full regulation in these spaces, you’re kind of just left to deal with a lot of it on your own and your support group. There’s no official way that things are dealt with, like creeps and sexist things at tournaments. It’s somewhat better in terms of security, but it sometimes still feels like you’re left to deal with it on your own or with your group.

ESI: Why do you think it’s still so prominent in the FGC?

Cuddle_Core: I’m not exactly sure why it’s a problem that’s continuing. I always thought that there should be more rules put in place – like a code of conduct. It should be a no-brainer, I thought… If you’re assaulted, people should be able to go to some entity that helps you handle that. Because it happens probably a lot. I know it happens a lot. If you’re at a convention or event, that should always exist, but it doesn’t. I’m not exactly sure why.

ESI: We previously talked about the old-school mentality that still runs deep in the FGC. Do you think that causes a bit of gatekeeping in the scene, especially towards women?

Cuddle_Core: Sexism exists in the space, it does. Some of those mentalities are old-school. It’s an echo chamber with their own group since they haven’t really been around other groups, including women.

It’s a bit better now, because of the way the world is. I’m very grateful for that. Some of the older views on things have molded how things are now, but they are being unlearned and pushed out… The mindset of the younger players coming in; they’re from a world that is more diverse, inclusive, and welcoming.

ESI: Have you experienced any sexism yourself? Is there anything that you’ve encountered that you think people wouldn’t really expect?

Cuddle_Core: I don’t want to spend a lot of time talking about that. I could be talking about all of my accomplishments instead. I have dealt with things, though, of course, but I have spent so much time on interviews speaking on those things. I hope you understand.

ESI: No, I totally get that! It’s like shining a spotlight on what makes you different, what sets you apart in the FGC, rather than talking about what you have actually accomplished. It could be reducing you to these instances.

Cuddle_Core: I couldn’t control those things that happened. Regardless, I became one of the best players in the world. I created my own space. That’s what matters to me. I have the proof of it all. People said I wasn’t that good. I dealt with all of that. But I surround myself with people who know my worth and value. I was protected, I was safe. That’s what keeps me going. That’s what matters to me.

ESI: And honestly, that’s the message people should be getting instead. Like hey, you shouldn’t care about these random weirdos. You should focus on yourself, your goals, and the people who truly have your back, who support your goals. Who cares about these freaks?

Cuddle_Core: It’s important to stand up for what you believe in and to use your voice. But there’s a fine line between helping others and then protecting yourself mentally by taking on that weight for everybody else. Especially as a public figure representing a minority in esports.

ESI: There has been a lot of talk about the FGC scene changing, going from grassroots to mainstream. Do you feel this is a good change for the scene? Is this the growth it needs?

Cuddle_Core: Grassroots was great for what it was. I experienced a lot of grassroots events, and I loved them. But I do think that, for there to be more discoverability for fighting games and career building, there has to be a shift, a pivot, to actual esports.

We’re trying to create something long-term and more professional. In that sense, it’s necessary. It’s unfortunate it has to happen this way. There’s a conflict that happens [with this kind of change]: part of the scene wants grassroots, but some say they need the opportunities… It’s a huge struggle. It was inevitable.

It’s unfortunate, because grassroots needs to exist. Those events I love are gone. Tournament organizers had to drop out. They have real lives. There’s also money. Affordability.

There are now seven Evos. and it’s owned by a new company. Now it has money. But where’s the space for grassroots events when that happens? This change slightly removes locals, too, and that’s scary. A lot of people got in because of those grassroots events.

ESI: You said that it’s unfortunate how the change happened. What do you think is the issue with how the FGC is going about growing?

Cuddle_Core: It feels like not everybody’s on the same page. It becomes an ongoing, recycled conversation about “we want grassroots, but we need…” But that’s the thing. It’s moving this direction, so how do we preserve it? What are we going to do? This conversation has been had for years. What are we going to do?

I don’t want to keep having conversations over again, debating this. I want to come up with a solution. Let’s actually do it. I’ve already embraced it, but the change is here. What do we do now?

From what I understand, Evo is providing support to local events. That’s good. That’s good! It doesn’t have to be this bad thing. It’s helping.

ESI: I think one argument is that the passion, the grit of the grassroots FGC scene is in jeopardy. Some feel it’s disappearing. Do you feel that moving to mainstream harms the authenticity of the FGC?

Cuddle_Core: Some of the authenticity, in terms of locals, grassroots events… Some of that authenticity is in danger. I was coming up at a time when I saw a lot of grassroots events no longer exist… Common ones I’d see all the time.

But authenticity is still there. Grassroots events may not be there, but the spirit of fighting game lovers is still present. Locals still do exist. New tournaments still get created. It’s still there. But maneuvering this new landscape. The spirit of it is still there. The community is still there. It’s just being redirected.

ESI: I love that way of looking at it. Like yes, the grassroots events are gone, but the same community is here. The same passionate players are here. Speaking of that, there was some drama with Evo inviting content creators into the space who weren’t necessarily hardcore FGC players.

Cuddle_Core: I love it! I love that big streamers who aren’t necessarily in the space came to our event. I personally love that. They bring new eyes to it. Some of them have a love for fighting games, but they’re not deep into the fighting game space. Some aren’t into it at all, but they find out they love it once they attend the event.

It helps with discoverability for fighting games. It creates a wider audience for it. That’s important for the longevity of the space. I love it!

It’s been interesting because it creates opportunities for networking. Not just with the streamers. Just more people seeing it. They see the talent, who is behind it, the players… You network the entire space with a wider audience and more companies, beyond just fighting games. It creates long-term careers for people because there’s no blueprint for how to build a career here.

ESI: There are a lot of new fighting games coming out. Do you think this will be good for the FGC or spread the playerbase too thin?

Cuddle_Core: New titles coming out every so often is good. If they want to play it, they’ll play it. There’s a fighting game for everybody. You don’t have to limit yourself to the top three 3D fighters… You know it’s a problem if there are only two existing overall. That’s it!?

And the games coming out, they look great. I think it’s good. I hope that they are around for a long time. Fighting games that come in, sometimes they don’t live up to the hype with the community and die quickly. But I want longevity with new titles – not just iconic three – so fighting games can continue.

ESI: With all these new games, do you see Tekken still having a space in the FGC? What makes it stand out?

Cuddle_Core: Tekken still has its place because of the fanbase. It’s the fanbase. They are so dedicated. Tekken is one of those games where it’s hard, the barrier to entry is high… You commit all that time – that’s a marriage! People are locked into Tekken. They are not gonna give that up, no matter how much they hate it.

And the new players that exist, they continue to love it. They create their own legacy. So, there are the older fans who still will support it, even if it’s not their favorite Tekken. And newer gen… It’s still standing up.

ESI: Tekken has seen fewer registrations at the last few majors, and there has been controversy with the recent updates. Do you think Tekken is in a good place right now?

Cuddle_Core: Tekken is in a very good place right now. Okay, in all transparency, Season 1 had a lot of aggressive changes. But I play any Tekken. I love it, I love it. I maneuver through anything. I love problem-solving. But it had a lot that needed to be worked through.

Season 2, they started balancing parts of it, but it was bloated. I still competed in it, but it still needed some work. Season 3, after the fans had been like, “Hey, no, you need to change this.” There was a lot of backlash. As there should have been. They added a bit too much. But for Season 3, they took the advice to heart, adjusted much of it, and a couple of patches have already been released…

People are a lot more satisfied. Not fully. But a lot more satisfied. We feel it as we play it. It’s in a good place. I love it.

ESI: What are your goals with Tekken right now?

Cuddle_Core: Continue to be a super consistent pro player. Continue to push past the goals I’ve had in the past. Continue to get Top 8 placements. Medals and trophies, continue to get them. I want even more. I have mental goals with competing as well. That’s a huge part of the game.

And I want to pour into my crafts – content creation, hosting, collaborating, sharing my love of fighting games. Feeding all those parts of my brand because they’re all me. That’s what I’ve been focusing on. That’s what I want.

ESI: That’s amazing that you were able to find other avenues in the FGC space. I feel there’s a lot of struggle in the FGC due to the lack of money, and it’s hard to make a full-time career out of it. But you did it.

Cuddle_Core: There is a struggle building a career in the fighting game space. I noticed that early on, when I first got signed to Equinox. I realized, when I worked with them, I had a lot of opportunities to do different things, not just focus on playing.

Playing is not enough. I love playing, but how can I diversify my brand? I can be a phenomenal player, but what else?

I became really good at commentating, public speaking, coaching… Letting those parts of my personality out. Showing those parts. You only get a certain part of me when I’m on the stage. You’ll see the fire, mm, the passion. But that’s not the only thing I want to be shown. I want that to exist outside of playing.

I’ve documented everything I’ve achieved – every part of it – on social media. I’ve built it up for eight years. Over time, I kept getting opportunities. I couldn’t rely on this space to do it for me. They have their own narrative about women, black women… I just want to create my own story of who I am and what this is. I’m a professional. Why wouldn’t you want to work with me? I built that narrative for myself.

You can’t expect the space to do that, to build me up, to hype you up. That’s how I learned as a businesswoman. Don’t limit yourself. Don’t pigeonhole yourself to one skill, one space.

ESI: It’s great to hear you talk about public speaking and other life-long skills you got from esports, since so many people are quick to dismiss it as not a real career, nothing more than a casual hobby.

Cuddle_Core: Yes, exactly. You get a lot of long-term skills. We were talking about grassroots earlier, and, as great as it was, I wanted more professionalism. I appreciate grassroots for what it is and support grassroots, but as a professional, I wanted to pivot my career towards esports. I wanted a career that sustained me.

ESI: Esports World Cup has been a bit of a controversial topic in the FGC. More titles are heading there and there are big prizes at stake. How do you feel about that being a new part of the scene?

Cuddle_Core: I never competed at EWC. But if I did, if the opportunity presented itself, I don’t know. I don’t know what that looks like. As a competitor, I would compete. I’m doing it for me. But I don’t know if that’s simple. I don’t have a full answer for you.

ESI: Yeah, it’s tough. Like, where do you draw the line? Because Evo is owned by a Saudi Arabian company, too. Where can you compete?

What do you have to say about your career, your goals, and anything else that’s on your mind after discussing the state of the FGC?

Cuddle_Core: My biggest advice to anybody trying to build a career in gaming, specifically a niche category like fighting games: Don’t wait for the validation of others. Know your self-worth. It’s what you think about yourself.

It’s not about the last win or loss you had. Those don’t define you. If you can respect yourself outside the game, I really think it carries you very far as a professional and as a person. Playing is great, but it’s not just about playing. It’s how you speak, carry yourself, treat others, and pour your passions into other things.

It makes you a well-rounded individual, and you’ll be surprised by the doors that open for you when you exist beyond the realm of being on stage.