Jae-Min ‘Knee’ Bae Wins Red Bull Golden Letters 2023

Red Bull Golden Letters 2023 took place in London this weekend, and at the end of the Tekken 7 tournament, Jae-Min ‘Knee’ Bae came out on top. Knewe fought his way through some of the rougher parts of the event as he first ended up in the loser side of the brackets after placement, but ended up going all the way through them to come out on top, eventually taking on Hyunjin ‘JDCR’ Kim in the finals. After that, it was almost elementary as he went undefeated in the finals, 6-0, to take the title. You can read Red Bull’s official recap of the event below.

“The first rounds kicked off with some upsets, seeing pros CHANEL and Chikurin defeated by qualifying underdogs Hussain ‘Gosain’ Shah and Akhil ‘Tetsu’ Kakar. The Winner’s Quarter-Finals saw the qualifiers dominate some of the world’s best, with Haktan ‘HK Jr.’ Kocaman taking out the favourite of the tournament Knee with a sensational finish, while Gosain won over reigning Red Bull Golden Letters champion AyoRichie. The Winner’s Semi-Finals saw Super Akouma battle HK Jr., the surprise of the tournament, with the latter adding another impressive underdog victory. Despite these underdog winnings, pro-player JDCR took down Gosain along the way.”

“The loser’s bracket saw a clash of titans between Anakin and Knee, with Knee scraping through with the win while last year’s champion AyoRichie was eliminated after being taken down by Super Akouma. The Losers Semi-Final followed with Knee and Super Akouma battling it out for the Loser’s Final spot, with the pro progressing to the next round. The Winner’s Final featured JDCR facing off against HK Jr. and knocking him off his win streak while Knee got back-to-back Golden Letters, turning up the heat for an intense Losers Final progressing to the Grand Final.”

“Red Bull Golden Letters’ unique way-to-win format also made its return, incentivising perfect play and putting players under pressure as they raced to win in a first-to-three format. Players who managed to secure three of Tekken’s ‘Perfect’ or ‘Great’ scores – the eponymous ‘Golden Letters’ – won the entire set in these clashes. These alternative win conditions meant there was always a chance for players to mount a comeback and kept the game intensity high. The format also helped inspire some unforgettable matches and mouth-watering moments as some of the best Tekken 7 pros showed off their poise under pressure, with a total of 26 Golden Letters victories throughout the competition. Across the tournament weekend, Red Bull Golden Letters winner Jae-Min ‘Knee’ Bae secured five of these victories, with two across the open qualifiers and another three achieved during the gripping finals day.”