Another EVO has come and gone, and once again Las Vegas became the home of the Fighting Game Community for one incredible weekend. From world-class competition to major announcements, the indie showcase, Artist Alley, and everything in between, EVO continues to prove that it’s much more than a tournament, it’s a celebration of the FGC.
Before anything else, congratulations to this year’s champions.
| Game | Champion |
|---|---|
| Street Fighter 6 | MenaRD |
| TEKKEN 8 | Arslan Ash |
| 2XKO | Hikari |
| Rivals of Aether II | Plup |
| Guilty Gear -Strive- | RedDitto |
| Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising | Kojicoco |
| Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves | Xiaohai |
| Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage | GentlemanThief |
| Vampire Savior | Kaji |
| Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes] | BigBlack |
| BlazBlue: Central Fiction | Fukku |
| Invincible VS | akuri__ |
As for the event itself, I have to give the EVO team a lot of credit. This was probably one of the smoothest EVOs I’ve attended. The venue flowed well, the schedule stayed on track, and everything felt polished from the moment the doors opened until Grand Finals wrapped up.
The one thing I noticed almost immediately, though, was the crowd.
The lower registration numbers were already public before the event started, but walking the show floor made it even more noticeable. The aisles were easier to get through, booths weren’t as crowded, and there were very few moments where the convention felt packed like previous years. I don’t know the official attendance numbers, so I’m not going to speculate, but it was definitely something I noticed throughout the weekend.
Honestly, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
EVO isn’t just Las Vegas anymore. With EVO Japan continuing to grow and EVO France happening later this year, it makes sense that more players are choosing the event that’s closest to them. To me, that doesn’t feel like EVO is shrinking, it feels like EVO is growing into what it was always meant to be: a worldwide celebration of fighting games.
Outside of the brackets, the show floor was fantastic. The indie section continues to be one of my favorite parts of EVO because you never know what hidden gem you’re going to discover. Artist Alley was packed with incredible talent as always, and it’s still one of the best places to support artists who live and breathe this community.
That’s why I always tell people that EVO is more than a tournament, it’s a convention.
You don’t need to enter a bracket to have an amazing weekend. You can spend days playing upcoming games, meeting developers, shopping from talented artists, reconnecting with friends, and watching some of the best players in the world compete. There really isn’t another event like it.
Another EVO is officially in the books, and once again it reminded us why this weekend means so much to the Fighting Game Community.
Now we look ahead to EVO France.
We’ll see you there.
