The Game Awards happened on Dec. 6th, 2018, and there were many surprises reveals at the event in the video game world: from the announcement that Joker from Persona 5 would be a DLC character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to Mortal Kombat 11 getting a release date, the night was filled with many noteworthy moments; none more noteworthy than during the award for Esports Player of the Year.
Dominique “SonicFox” McLean won the award in commanding fashion after a stellar year, winning tournaments in Injustice 2, Dragonball FighterZ, and Soul Calibur 6 (being arguably the best player in the world for each of those games.) Many people could’ve seen this coming after his dominate year; what people likely weren’t ready for was SonicFox himself.
SonicFox is known in the community for being incredibly outspoken, as well as being a very prominent “furry” (he’s often seen wearing his full furry costume while competing in tournaments.) The Game Awards was no different, as SonicFox, upon being announced the winner of the award, immediately donned his furry mask and made his merry way up to the stage.
The speech touched on many things, from SonicFox’s skill to his passion for games, and stories from his personal life. His speech featured a touching tale of donating winnings to help his friend’s father afford medical care for his Stage 3 cancer. SonicFox also gave shoutouts to the LGBTQ and furry communities, of which he is a proud member and supporter.
The speech wasn’t universally acclaimed – SonicFox received backlash for the line “I am gay, black, furry; basically everything a Republican hates” – but for the most part, SonicFox showed a kind, endearing side to himself while accepting his rightly-earned award as the best esports player of the year.
You can watch the full speech below:
