Why the Evo fighting game tournament is bigger than ever in 2024

Fighting games are a cultural touchstone of the 1990s when arcades were huge and every pizza joint had a “Street Fighter II” or “Mortal Kombat” cabinet. Back in the day, the video game genre elicited a sense of competition as players argued over who was the best in the neighborhood. That debate was settled through matches and that competition expanded to cities, then states and eventually continents.

It’s how the Evolution Championship Series was born. The biggest fighting game tournament of the year began in San Diego in 1996 with 40 players, according to its website. Since then, it has grown year over year, outgrowing older locations. Now in 2024, organizers said it has gathered a record 10,000-plus competitors, who will challenge each other across eight titles, starting on July 19 to 21.

Evo’s growth isn’t only focused on the largest field in its history, but the tournament has taken over the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The offerings at the gathering have expanded beyond just pure competition, said Rick Thiher, general manager of Evo. They now include an all-inclusive show floor where attendees can check out art exhibits, arcade stick showcases and a giant free-play area that for the weekend will have the largest arcade in the country.

THE CULTUREWhat makes Evo different from other esports competitions such as League of Legends Worlds or The International is that it isn’t devoted to one game. “It’s a Comic-Con,” Thiher said, referring to the San Diego event that has grown beyond comic books and transformed into a celebration of all pop culture. “It’s not isolated in video games. It’s not isolated to fighting games. It has its own specific fandoms. Sub fandoms and subcultures.”

At the event, players can check out cosplayers or listen to bands. Friday features an industry showcase, where companies reveal the latest updates to their games or upcoming titles.

Another way that Evo is different from the average esports tournament is that it’s an open competition. Unknowns can rise through the ranks over the weekend and become fan favorites by the time it’s over. Last year, Evo was abuzz over a blind player competing and winning in “Street Fighter 6.” BlindWarriorSven was on the main stage and won, using the game’s accessibility audio options.

Thiher calls it the discovery element, and it has been part of the fighting game community. “Culturally, it’s an accepting fandom,” he said. “You can engage with a fighting game and it’s just you. You don’t have to build a team.”

He said if someone performs beyond expectations, other players accept them because it’s exciting to see someone prove their skill and surprise people.

THE GAMESThis year’s Evo is headlined by “Street Fighter 6” and “Tekken 8” with “Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising,” “Mortal Kombat 1,” “Guilty Gear Strive,” “The King of Fighter XV” and “Under Night in Birth II [Sys:Celes]. “Street Fighter III: Third Strike” is returning as the classic game returning.

It comes back on the 20th anniversary of “Moment 37,” one of the defining moments in the esport. Seen in grainy video from 2004, it’s a matchup between legends Justin Wong, one of the best players in the U.S., and Daigo Umehara, a top player from Japan. In the fight, Umehara is near defeat with a sliver of health when Wong as Chun-Li performs a finishing move hoping to wrap up the round, but in that tense moment, Umehara performs a miraculous series of parries and activates his own powerful attack as Ken. It blew the roof off the Evo event space.

With this year’s players skills at a high level, can another “Moment 37” happen? It’s one of the more intriguing reasons to watch Evo competition when it’s streamed on Twitch, or if you’re going, it’s definitely a reason to check out the competition.