Fighting is about passion. When a player begins to realize their potential to compete, the desire to improve means new doorways open. Like a light turning on, a game takes on new life.

Finding the determination to break through your own limits and learning how to improve your skills makes play more rewarding. In fighting games there is a purity to the gameplay - it's you and your opponent, under the same set of rules, your mind against theirs. Who can read the situation best will win. The reason Dead or Alive is so compelling is that dynamic is at the fore.

Alongside the satisfaction of improving your skills, the opportunity presented by competition - of tournaments, is for every player a chance to go from simply playing online or amongst friends, to making new ones in competition, broadening the enjoyment of the game itself and the culture around games.

This is what becoming stronger at Dead or Alive, and all fighting games, has meant to me. From the urge just to hold my own in online battles, led to the thrills and camaraderie of tournaments. From DOA2, to traveling for tournaments in DOA4, I've enjoyed being part of the community as a player and as an event organiser. Since the dawn of my interest in fighters, playing Street Fighter 2 and Virtua Fighter in the arcade, there's never been a better time to join this amazing scene.

With each battle, each competition, every player looks forward to not just new challenges, but to share the passion for fighting, and invite more players to make the step from couch to community - and I look forward to seeing new champions rise to the occasion.

My name is Daniel "Berzerk" Chlebowczyk and