For fans of competitive video games, there is perhaps not an event more ubiquitous than EVO – the Evolution Championship Series. Tracing its roots to a California-based Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Street Fighter Alpha 2 tournament, EVO has drawn together so many of the absolute best within the fighting game world to compete inside games both new and classic. I mean this quite literally too – what other kind of event could have possibly birthed the likes of Street Fighter champ Daigo “The Beast” Umehara?
EVO is truly an international event. Players from more than 44 countries have gathered over the years to throw down, so it was only a matter of time until the organizers decided to take their own brand of hype worldwide. Thinkining about it, so many of these games come from the minds, hearts and souls of Japanese creators, and not to mention the sheer number of Japanese players who attend the event annually. It’s only logical that Japan would be the next stepping stone, and we’re only a short way away. EVO Japan will be held from January 26-28 2018, and I couldn’t be more excited. Check out the slickly-produced trailer for the event below:
The lineup for the whole event has me on the edge of my seat, and I can’t wait to see the battles that unfold within them:
- Tekken 7
- Guilty Gear Xrd REV2
- The King of Fighters XIV
- BlazBlue: Central Fiction
- Super Smash Bros. for WiiU
- Arms
- Street Fighter V
- and the undoubtedly loads of other titles receiving side tournaments, both official and unofficial
Far and away, the biggest surprise on that list is the inclusion of Nintendo’s brand-new, unconventional Switch figher Arms. Personally, I have a ton of questions. Which of the multiple control methods will be utilized? Will the tournament roll with the stunningly precise motion controls method? Will they enforce button play? Will that actually be up to the individual fighters? Being someone who actively enjoys the game, I’m pretty eager to know some more details.
Get those passports ready fighters – this is an opportunity to dive head-first into a huge chunk of Japanese popular video-gaming culture. I cannot think of a better weekend experience than this for passionate fighting game fans, and I urge you to keep an eye on EVO Japan’s official site for more information on the tournament as it is revealed, including the exact venue, registration details and accomodation options.