After Evo, Gonzalez will head to the Video X Games in St. Maarten near the last weekend of July, spend a few more days in Los Angeles and then return to Chile, his family and his girlfriend of almost nine years. His shaky future raises tough questions; the competitive fighting game scene doesn't sport the five or six figure payouts of other competitive games. And most fighting game sponsors can't give the relative financial security or bona fide contracts that professional multiplayer online battle arena, real-time strategy or first-person shooter teams can offer. "I'll be back without a dime in my pockets, but a happy man," Gonzalez says.
His nebulous future isn't holding him back; his invigorated spirit burns too hot for that. Gonzalez wants to create a think tank for the fighting game community, bringing together progressive minds, vocal opinions and committed players to push the scene towards positive growth "unbound by common limitations in the fighting game community like regional or personal egos" as well as establish the group's dominance. "I want to show that by working together, a group of focused, intelligent people can dominate over raw talent," he says.
Gonzalez is already pursuing a Canadian visa to visit friends and to seek more international competition, eyeing the Canada Cup in late September. He's always looking for his next fight.
