Evolution Championship Series (Evo), the largest and longest-running fighting game tournament, concluded its 21st event before a sold-out Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. The record-breaking weekend crowned eight champions from six countries and entertained fans with the largest tournament gaming convention for the fighting game community.
Evo shattered records for this year’s event with an 81% increase in total competitors from 2022. Street Fighter 6, Guilty Gear -Strive-, MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA, and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 all set new all-time franchise registration records. Street Fighter 6 hosted 7,081 players, which could break the Guinness World Records as the largest tournament for a single fighting game tournament, currently at 5,107, as listed on its website. Evo also featured Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate, TEKKEN 7, THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV, and DRAGON BALL FighterZ. In total, Evo welcomed 9,182 players from 71 countries.
“Evo will always be about the spirit of competition and bringing the fighting game community together through its favorite pastimes,” said Rick Thiher, GM for Evo. “But this year, we witnessed a turning point in Evo as it cemented itself as a lifestyle gathering and rally point for fighting game culture. We saw generations of players and fans celebrating their love of the fighting game genre, and that’s what Evo is here to develop.”
Fans were delighted on the final day as several games revealed new characters, including TEKKEN 8, Granblue Fantasy Versus, and Guilty Gear -Strive-. Mortal Kombat 1 unveiled the trailer for The Banished, while the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vs. Street Fighter title announced new skins and teased a new character.
Some of the biggest publishers continued to tease fans with their upcoming new titles with playable versions, including Riot Games’ Project L, TEKKEN 8, and Mortal Kombat 1. Crunchyroll, the global leader in bringing the ultimate anime experience to fans in over 200 countries and territories, electrified its fans through DJ performances, games, special guest appearances, and the newly released Street FighterTM: Duel. Finally, Evo expanded activities like the 10,000 square foot retro arcade, industry and community showcases, and artist alley.
Evo also announced the dates for its key global events in 2024, including Evo Japan in Tokyo on April 27-29 at Ariake Gymnastics Centre and Evo in Las Vegas on July 26-28.
2023 Evo Champions
Street Fighter 6 – PS4 (Capcom) – 1st appearance at Evo
In his fifth Evo appearance, United Arab Emirates’ Amjad “Angrybird” Alshalabi captured his first Evo title by ousting Saul “MenaRD” Mena from the Dominican Republic.
Guilty Gear -Strive- – PS4 (Arc System Works) – 2nd appearance at Evo
Sweden’s William “Leffen” Hjelte found redemption after a 3rd place finish in 2022.
TEKKEN 7 – PS4 (BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment) – 7th appearance at Evo
Pakistan’s Arslan Ash made history by becoming the first player to claim four Evo titles for TEKKEN 7.
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 – PS4 (Capcom) – 7th appearance at Evo
American Gabriel “Jibrill” Lam swept Matthew “Evasion” Skuce 3-0 to capture his first Evo title.
DRAGON BALL FighterZ – PS4 (BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment) – 4th appearance at Evo
American Josiah “Hikari” Miller completed a reverse sweep 3-2 to capture his first Evo title.
THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV – PS4 (SNK) – 2nd appearance at Evo
Zhuojun “Xiaohai” Zeng from China raced through the winner bracket to secure his place in KOV XV history by winning in the Grand Final 3-1 over Taiwan’s ChiaHung “E.T.” Lin.
MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA – PS4 (Lasengle) – 2nd appearance at Evo
It was an all-Japan Grand Final as “Moai” outfought “Dai” 3-0 as both played the character Michael Roa Valdamjong in a mirror winners final.
Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate – PS4 (Warner Bros. Games)- 3rd appearance at Evo
American Jarrad “NinjaKilla212” Gooden took home his second Evo title in Mortal Kombat 11 after winning Evo 2021 Online.
