that's one hell of a generalized statement, but i must admit the saltiest hatemail and voice messages on my ps4 are from hayate players, no idea why. maybe losing with the best character in the game produces a special brand of salt
i think he's pretty up there, with a toolset like his i'd put money on him being one of the best in the game. not that you'd know that from the way most ppl play him. it's kinda like season 1 chun li from sfv, she definitely had the tools to be a contender, but you didn't see a whole lot of it cause utilizing her stuff to be an effective chun was difficult
i feel like hayate is in the same spot, he's got all the tools, he just needs alot of work to use them well. it's not like a rachel where after 30 mins in training mode you've learnt everyone you need to know and you're good for the next 3 years
Hayate has never been the best character in the game. He's a good character definitely not the best. I don't really believe in the "best" since every character has different strengths and weaknesses. And other characters excel at where the other lacks something.