Every year, Evo brings fighting game fans from all over the world to Las Vegas, where thousands compete for renown, money, and a pretty dope trophy. Capcom has long lorded over the event, with Street Fighter being the top dog at every tournament. Since Street Fighter IV brought fighters back to the mainstream, and Evo has grown more and more, Capcom’s flagship title has held the “main event” spot, even airing on ESPN. But for Evo 2019, things are changing. Not only has Street Fighter been knocked out of the final Sunday slot, it actually dropped two spaces.
Despite ever-solid attendance numbers, Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition will now be the second of four games showcased in the Evo 2019 grand finals. It has been usurped by Tekken 7, which has been steadily growing since its release in North America. But that’s not all – surprising nearly the entire fighting game community, the new Evo 2019 main event will be Nintendo-flavored, with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate closing out the finals. This makes sense, as according to EventHubs Nintendo’s all-star party brawler has the most entrants of the event, at 3,492 registrants.
Also surprising is Bandai Namco’s Dragon Ball FighterZ not appearing on Sunday at all, instead being held in the middle of Saturday. Samurai Shodown and Mortal Kombat 11, two newer titles, are both following. Samurai Shodown in particular is notable because not only did it just come out in June, but it is the most successful SNK game at an Evo event in terms of registration numbers.
Evo 2019 will be held from August 2 to 4, 2019, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Unlike previous years, Evo 2019 will not see its finals aired on ESPN.
How do you feel about Street Fighter V dropping out of the Evo 2019 main event? Let us know in the comments.
