Fighting game community (FGC) legend Ryan Hart has been announced as an official ambassador of the fighting game series VIRTUA FIGHTER (VF).
The news was revealed yesterday via a post on the game’s social media account alongside the creation of the Ryan Hart VF Cup and a series of tutorial videos.
The upcoming monthly tournament will kick off on February 8th, offering unique in-game icons officially granted by VIRTUA FIGHTER’s publisher SEGA. Interested players can sign up on its dedicated webpage.
Moreover, Ryan’s DOJO VF tutorial series currently consists of four short parts, providing insights into some of the game’s mechanics.
“From playing VF in the arcades in 1996 to working alongside the VF Team is more than a dream come true. I am extremely honoured and excited about the journey ahead,” noted Hart in the announcement.
Ryan Joseph Hart, also known as the Prodigal Son within the FGC community, first began competing in 1994 with his first tournament in Street Fighter II Turbo. In 1996, Hart won his first competition, the National King of Fighters 96’ Championship.
Since then, the FGC veteran has won over 450 tournaments across numerous games in the genre, including Street Fighter, Tekken, The King of Fighters and VIRTUA FIGHTER. Hart is a two-time Evolution (Evo) Championship Series champion, winning the Tekken Tag Tournament in 2004 and the Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection event in 2008.
Evo has been the most prominent fighting game event for many years. Earlier this month, the organiser unveiled the game line-up and expanded tournament details for its 2025 edition.
Hart also holds four Guinness World Records for fighting games including the most international tournament competition wins and the most consecutive wins in Street Fighter V.
Although the Prodigal Son never stopped competing, Hart reduced his tournament participation significantly from 2017 onwards to focus more on other avenues.
He shifted his activity within the gaming and esports community from being mainly an athlete to taking more of an on-air talent role. Hart worked as a commentator for several Evo editions and covered parts of the Esports World Cup 2024 as a host and interviewer.
Most recently, he opened the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) Year 4 Championship, the largest international tournament in the battle royale title’s competitive season.