Two Abu Dhabi-based esports professionals, Adel "Big Bird" Anouche and Amjad "AngryBird" Al Shalabi — collectively known as "The Birds" — drew large crowds at the Tokyo Game Show 2026, cementing their status as Street Fighter stars in Japan.
The pair appeared at a last-minute meet-and-greet at the Red Dunes Games booth, and despite minimal advance notice, fans turned out in force. In one instance, a Japanese police officer recognised Anouche on the street, while strangers have stopped Al Shalabi in metro stations to discuss matches from years earlier.
This year, Anouche qualified first in his Capcom Cup group before losing to veteran player Fuudo in the top 16, and he went on to reach the top eight at the Ultimate Fighting Arena tournament in France. His team, Red Dunes Esports, finished second in the SFL EMEA division, securing a playoff spot.
Al Shalabi returned to competition this year after stepping away due to personal issues, training more than nine hours a day against upwards of 100 opponents. He went on to finish in the top three at the Ultimate Fighting Arena and helped Red Dunes Esports to its second-place finish in SFL EMEA.
"The average player is a lot better now. That alone makes the competition harder," Anouche said. Al Shalabi echoed the sentiment, noting that staying sharp across a packed calendar of events has become one of the toughest parts of competing at the top level.