The player Jamie “IGottaJet” Drake participated in a tournament for Tekken 8. However, during the Texas Showdown 2025, he didn’t come alone, but brought along his coach – whom he strapped to his back.
What kind of coach was that? The player came with a dog on his back. This is his two-year-old dog, a Shiba Inu named Kintaro. Normally, coaches are not allowed in this year’s competitive season of Tekken 8. However, for Kintaro, the tournament organizers made an exception.
On Twitch, there is a clip showing Kintaro relaxed on his owner’s back. He occasionally gets treats and pets, otherwise he sometimes looks around curiously.
And as if that alone wasn’t sweet enough, Jamie Drake played with Leroy, a character who takes his dog Sugar everywhere. This duo definitely stood out at this year’s Tekken 8 tournament among the many participants.
So the only question left is whether Kintaro’s support helped the tournament participant at all.
You can watch the fighting game in the following trailer:
Dog on the back is a moral coach in Tekken 8
Did the coach help? Of course, the dog couldn’t give any instructions on how IGottaJet should play. But at least he was a moral support, providing encouragement from his owner’s back.
Unfortunately, this mental support wasn’t enough for a victory. IGottaJet reached 65th place, which is a solid performance out of 277 participants. He also lost to a player who has been competing in Tekken 8 tournaments for 10 years and made it to the Top 8 again this time.
Does his participation have consequences? Katsuhiro Harada is one of the biggest icons of Tekken and is also on board as Executive Producer for the 8th part. He saw the animal duo and promised on X that Kintaro will be included as customization items in the game. However, he left it open when exactly Kintaro will appear as an item.
MeinMMO author Niko Hernes was particularly looking forward to the release of Tekken 8 in 2024. For him, the beat ’em up is not just a game, it’s a family affair. He virtually beat not only his sister but also his grandmother: My game of the year 2024 will be released next week and reminds me of how I virtually fought with my grandmother
