Street Fighter 6 professional player Kakeru Watanabe recently announced he has developed tendonitis, a condition that leaves his wrists in constant pain. The news came in a social media post where Watanabe, wearing wrist braces, explained that the injury was the result of nonstop grinding after the Street Fighter 6 World Championship. He expressed a hope to recover before the release of the game’s next character, Ingrid, but the image painted a grim picture of the physical cost of high-level play. The situation was highlighted by an Esports Insider report that argues organizations must do more to protect their players.
A Pattern of Injuries
Watanabe’s diagnosis is part of a broader, worrying trend across professional gaming. From League of Legends to Counter-Strike, top players have been sidelined by carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injuries, and tendonitis. The demanding nature of fighting games—where split-second reactions and complex combos require hundreds of rapid inputs per minute—makes the genre particularly punishing on the hands. Yet many esports organizations still treat these injuries as the player’s personal problem rather than an occupational hazard. For more context, GamerHeadlines has also covered World of Tanks Dev to Invest $10 Million into eSports Esports News EA.
What Organizations Need to Do
To prevent career-ending injuries, esports organizations must integrate physical health into their training regimens. This means hiring staff physiotherapists, scheduling mandatory rest periods, and teaching preventive techniques like wrist exercises and proper posture. The culture of “play through the pain” needs to be replaced with a proactive approach to player wellbeing. In Watanabe’s case, the pressure to return in time for a new character drop is exactly the kind of scenario that can worsen an injury. For more context, GamerHeadlines has also covered Call of Duty: Strike Team will be Dissolved by the End of this Month Esports News Call of Duty.
GamerHeadlines Takeaway
Esports is a young industry still learning how to care for its athletes. The more high-profile cases like Watanabe’s emerge, the clearer it becomes that player health can’t be an afterthought. Organizations, tournament organizers, and publishers all share the responsibility to build a sustainable environment where pros can compete at their best without sacrificing their long-term health. If the trend continues, fans should get used to seeing their favorite players retire far too early.
