The biggest fighting game tournament in the world happens this weekend, and it’s expected to draw thousands to festivities in Las Vegas, and an even bigger audience online, as fans watch the best players in the world compete in titles such as “Street Fighter 6,” “Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves” and “Mortal Kombat 1.”
For gamers headed to the event, they can expect more refinements, said Rick Thiher, EVO general manager with a 23,000-square-foot free-to-play arcade with more than 300 machines and museums dedicated to the fighting game genre. He also mentioned that Evo will have a proper meet and greet area, so attendees can visit some of the biggest names in the industry and esports. Featured artists such as Shinkiro and Jbstyle will also make appearances.
Evo 2025 features more than 300 arcade machines that are free to play. (Courtesy of Robert Paul)
But the main reason to check out Evo is for the fighting games, and Thiher said, “It will feature the largest charcuterie board of the genre.” He said he hopes that fans will be “presented all that food and be full.”
The great part of Evo is that fans who can’t afford a plane ticket to Vegas can still enjoy the festivities over the livestreams throughout the day. Thiher highlighted some of the best events to catch for each day:
FRIDAY
7 p.m.: Fans should tune in toward the end of the day. That’s when Bushiroad will be hosting a “Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact” exhibition tournament. Based on the popular manga and anime, the game was recently released, and it’s a good chance to see the title in action.
8 p.m.: Arc System Works will be showcasing its highly anticipated project “Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls.” The studio has been riding a wave of popularity after hits such as “Dragon Ball Fighterz” and “Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising,” and this new project looks to be on the same level of their other efforts.
It’s essentially an anime version of Marvel’s most popular superheroes, but with over-the-top fighting and moments that fans of the genre crave. The showcase will offer fans more details bout the project.
8:30: Fighting game community fans have followed a Japanese streamer named Betty, who has challenged some of the older generation of stars to “Street Fighter 6” matches. She calls it her Oji Hunt and recently challenged esports legend Justin Wong to a match. He accepted, and that will cap the day. It starts at 8:30 p.m.
Fans react to the competition at Evo 2024. (Courtesy of Darrell McCready)
SATURDAY
5 p.m.: Cosplay fans will want to tune in to the Top 8 contest, Thiher said, with the winner having a chance to go to Evo France. That’s an appetizer for the highlight of the day, which will be the top 8 of the Marvel vs. Capcom 2 tournament, which features one of the biggest fields in the game’s history.
6 p.m.: Another game worth watching is the finals of “Rivals of Aether II,” a platformer fighter that’s comparable to “Super Smash Bros.” When fans see it, the game is immediately recognizable, and those familiar with Nintendo’s popular fighter should have no problem following along.
Victor “Punk” Woodley goes up against Adel “Big Bird” Anouche in the “Street Fighter 6” finals at Evo 2024. (Courtesy of Robert Paul)
SUNDAY
This is the biggest day of competition, and for the first time, tickets to see the competition live have sold out. Luckly for fans, they can catch the top 8 for games such as the new “Fatal Fury,” “Tekken 8” and “Street Fighter 6” on livestreams. This is where fans can see high-level competition and appreciate the coordination and dexterity the competitors have to pull off moves.
10 a.m. “Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.” had a soft relaunch as Sega builds up the anticipation for a confirmed sequel. That news along with the revamp has put a renewed focus on the classic fighting game franchise and its tournament finals.
Estimated start time at 4:30 p.m.: Thiher said “Tekken 8” will be particularly notable because of recent content changes that have been challenging for the fanbase. Fans should be on the lookout for any matchup between Arslan Ash and Bae Jae-min aka Knee. The two have developed a rivalry, Thiher said, and any game between those two should bring some excitement.
Estimated start time at 8 p.m.: With “Street Fighter 6,” a storyline to watch out for is whether Adel “Big Bird” Anouche can win the tournament after finishing second in last year’s contest to Victor “Punk” Woodley, according to Thiher.