Amid a sea of event cancellations, EVO organizers have affirmed that plans are still in place for the fighting game tournament at the end of July. Unless the coronavirus pandemic worsens or fails to improve, EVO will run from July 31st to August 2nd at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay.
EVO shared its unchanged plans in a recent Twitter post, while also noting that organizers intend to keep a close eye on updates from the World Health Organization, CDC, local government sources, and other health agencies. If EVO does indeed have to be cancelled or postponed, all who made ticket purchases should expect to receive refunds.
The news update from EVO appears in the following tweet:
An important message from the Evo team… pic.twitter.com/jUuiQSIITz
— EVO (@EVO) March 18, 2020
Much like gamescom, which occurs at the end of August, EVO is in a position to continue planning ahead since it’s not scheduled for months down the road. More imminent gatherings, however, such as E3’s June event and GDC which otherwise would’ve taken place this week, must adhere to health guidelines as they presently exist.
In the event that EVO 2020 does press on, attendees are in for quite the treat. Early in February, EVO unveiled its eight-title lineup, which includes: Street Fighter 5 Champion Edition, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Tekken 7, SoulCalibur 6, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Samurai Shodown, Under Night In-Birth, and Granblue Fantasy Versus. Notably, not a single Western-developed game appears on the list. Even Mortal Kombat 11 lacks mention, despite the series’ being a staple at the event since MK9’s debut at EVO 2012.
EVO 2020 will see the return of Marvel vs. Capcom 2, courtesy of a special invitational tournament featuring the Dreamcast version. This special tournament, known as “20urnament of Champions,” will serve as a celebration for the beloved Capcom title’s 20th anniversary.
[Source: Evo on Twitter]
