Evolution Championship Series
 Evolution Championship Series logo | |
| Formerly | Battle by the Bay |
|---|---|
| Sport | Fighting games |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founder | Tom "inkblot" Cannon, Tony "Ponder" Cannon, Joey "MrWizard" Cuellar, Seth "S-Kill" Killian |
| Owner(s) | E-Sports Evolution, LLC (Sony Interactive Entertainment, RTS) |
| Country | United States |
| Most recent champion(s) |
|
| Most titles | Justin Wong (9) |
| Qualification | None (open) |
| Official website | www |
The Evolution Championship Series, commonly known as Evo, is an American annual esports event that focuses exclusively on fighting games. The tournaments are completely open and use the double elimination format.[1] As with Super Battle Opera, contestants travel from all over the world to participate, most notably from Japan. The first Evolution was originally held as a Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Street Fighter Alpha 2 tournament called the Battle by the Bay. It changed its name to Evo in 2002. Every successive tournament has seen an increase of attendees. It has been held at various venues across the Las Vegas Valley since 2005. As of 2021, the event is jointly owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment and the Endeavor esports venture RTS.[2]
History
[edit]Evo was founded by Tom Cannon, also known for his work on Shoryuken.com, a fighting game website. The tournament started as "Battle by the Bay", a 40-man Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Street Fighter Alpha 2 tournament in 1996 in Sunnyvale, California. The event eventually moved to its recurring venue in the Las Vegas Valley.[3][4] The event changed its name to Evolution Championship Series, or EVO for short, in 2002. Over time, the tournament grew, recording over one thousand participants in 2009.[5]
Originally the tournament used arcade cabinets, but in 2004 the decision was made to move all games over to their console versions, to a large amount of controversy.[6] During the transition to games on the seventh generation consoles, most games were played on a PlayStation 3,[7] though Evo 2014 ran most games on the Xbox 360.[8] Aside from the official tournaments, there is also a "BYOC" ("bring your own console") area in which many different games are played and side tournaments are held.
1996–2003: Tournament beginnings and re-branding
[edit]B3: Battle by the Bay was organized by Tom "inkblot" Cannon, Tony "Ponder" Cannon, Joey "MrWizard" Cuellar, and Seth "S-Kill" Killian,[9] and held in the Golfland arcade hall in Sunnyvale, California. The tournament had 40 contenders mostly from the United States, though B3 also featured players from Canada and Kuwait.[10] B3 featured a Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Street Fighter Alpha 2 tournament.
The B4 Street Fighter Championships were held on July 15–16, 2000, in Folsom, California. B4 introduced several new Capcom fighting games to the roster: Street Fighter Alpha 3, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes.[11] The newly released Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was the first non-Street Fighter game to be included, and a precedent for the tournament to branch out to other games. The Capcom Versus series has since had a large presence in the Battle of the Bay and Evolution Championship Series events.[12][13]
Held in August 2001 in Folsom, California, the B5 Championships was attended by a much larger international crowd, particularly from Japan. Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 made its introduction in the tournament roster at B5,[11] and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was again a headliner of the event, being described by TechTV as "the hottest arcade fighting game of the season."[14]
In 2002, the event became formally known as its current name, "Evo". Evo 2002 took place on August 9, 2002, at the University of California, Los Angeles.
2004–08: Change to consoles, Moment 37 and EVO Circuit
[edit]Evo 2004 took place at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in Southern California from July 29 to August 1. The tournament amassed approximately 700 competitors from over 30 countries to compete in over nine different games.[6] The games featured included Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Capcom vs. SNK 2, Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, Guilty Gear XX, Soulcalibur II, Tekken 4, and Tekken Tag Tournament.[15][16]
Evo 2004 used home consoles for most of their tournament games instead of arcade cabinets, with the only exception being 3rd Strike which used the more traditional arcade cabinets.[6] Evo 2004 was the birthplace of "Evo Moment #37". During the Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike tournament, Daigo Umehara (playing as Ken), while facing Justin Wong (using Chun-Li), successfully parried one of Chun-Li's "Super Moves" while having very little health left and then countered with his own, winning the match. This highlight became highly influential within the fighting game community.[17]
2005 was the first year Evo was held at the Green Valley Ranch casino and hotel in Las Vegas.
Evo 2006 took place at the Red Rock Resort Spa and Casino in Las Vegas. 2006 was the first year that Capcom gave its official, public support of the Evolution tournaments.[citation needed] Traditionally, Evo has only included fighting games, but in 2006 it included Mario Kart DS in its lineup. The fighting games featured were Dead or Alive 4, Guilty Gear XX Slash, and Hyper Street Fighter II.[18][19]
Evo 2007, officially called Evo World 2007, took place from August 24 to 26 at the Green Valley Ranch, in Las Vegas. Throughout the year there were several other tournaments held throughout the US bearing the Evo name. The game roster had eight games, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Capcom vs. SNK 2, Virtua Fighter 5, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Street Fighter II Turbo, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, Guilty Gear XX Λ Core, and Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Evo 2008 took place at the Tropicana Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip. from August 8 to 10.[20] The tournament would feature six games within its official roster: Capcom vs. SNK 2, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, and Marvel vs. Capcom 2.[21] The Brawl tournament was widely criticized for its ruleset, which allowed items on and saw a relatively unknown player defeat Ken Hoang.[22]
Evo 2008 also allowed attendees a preview of BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger, Street Fighter IV, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom.[citation needed]
2009–13: Street Fighter IV, live streams, and record numbers
[edit]
Evo 2009 took place on July 17 to 19.[23] Held at the Rio Convention Center, in Las Vegas, Nevada, the tournament itself would feature six games on its official roster: Soulcalibur IV, Guilty Gear XX: Accent Core, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and Street Fighter IV.[24] Notably, the newly released Street Fighter IV increased Evo attendance by a considerable margin, and the tournament for it alone boasted more than 1000 participants, almost three times that of the tournaments for the other games.[25]
Evo 2010, held at Caesars Palace from July 9, 2010 through July 11, 2010 had a massive number of competitors, with Super Street Fighter IV amassing approximately 1,800 players to duel for a $20,000 guaranteed prize pot. Most notable in this EVO was Justin Wong cementing his dominance in Marvel vs. Capcom 2 in its proverbial swan song, defeating the champion of the previous year, Sanford Kelly. Also notable was Wong failing to make the top 8 in Super Street Fighter IV, falling victim first to Vance "Vangief" Wu, and soon after to Taiwanese player Bruce "GamerBee" Hsiang. Melty Blood: Actress Again was included after a poll on Shoryuken.com to decide on the final game of the tournament, beating out Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Capcom vs. SNK 2, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Soulcalibur IV, and The King of Fighters XII.[26] BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger was to be included, but after a majority of the community moved on to BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, the decision was made to replace it with Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Also notable was G4's limited coverage of the event, even offering X-Play host Adam Sessler for commentary of the Super Street Fighter IV finals.[27]
For Evo 2011, a tournament season was announced in which players could earn ranking points at one of eight tournaments. It took place at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino from July 29 to 31, utilizing a 55,000-square-foot (5,100 m2) ballroom. All 50 states of the U.S. were represented, as well as 44 additional countries.[28][29] Its livestream was watched by over 2 million unique viewers on UStream over the course of the event.[30]
In attendance was Street Fighter series producer Ono Yoshinori, who announced a free balance patch for Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition.[31] Tekken series producer Katsuhiro Harada was also on hand to show new mechanics for Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Soulcalibur V.[32][33] Other unreleased games shown were Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, King of Fighters XIII, Skullgirls and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition. A Skullgirls side tournament was held in which the winner received a one-of-a-kind Skullgirls-themed arcade stick.[34][35] Media outlets G4, GameSpot and Destructoid were all present to cover the event.[34][36]
Evo 2012 took place July 6 to 8, 2012, at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.[37] On January 3, Joey Cuellar announced that Evo 2012 would have 6 main tournament games, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition (Version 2012), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Mortal Kombat, Soulcalibur V, The King of Fighters XIII and Street Fighter X Tekken. The tournament series from the previous year returned, featuring seeding points for all six games in 17 events all across the world.[38]
Evo 2013 was announced on December 2, 2012. It was held on July 12–14 at Paris Las Vegas.[39] On January 8, Joey Cuellar announced that EVO 2013 would have eight main tournament games, with the first seven revealed being Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition (Version 2012), Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter X Tekken (Version 2013), The King of Fighters XIII, and Persona 4 Arena. The eighth game was voted on by players via online donations, all proceeds of which went to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.[40] The eventual winner of the poll was Super Smash Bros. Melee with $94,683 raised for that game, while the total amount of donations was $225,744.[41] Nintendo of America initially sent a cease and desist letter to cancel the streaming of Melee matches, although after popular backlash a live stream was ultimately allowed to be carried out as planned.[42][43] On May 7, 2013, it was announced that Injustice: Gods Among Us would be a main tournament game, thus expanding the game roster from eight to nine.[44]
2014–19: Smash boom and international growth
[edit]Evo 2014 was announced on September 15, 2013. It was held on July 11–13, 2014 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino[8] On February 6, 2014, Cuellar announced that Evo 2014 would include BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Injustice: Gods Among Us, The King of Fighters XIII, Killer Instinct, and Ultra Street Fighter IV while also mentioning that discussions were ongoing with Nintendo on the possible inclusion of Super Smash Bros. Melee.[45] Melee was eventually officially added to the roster with Nintendo's approval.[46][47] Tekken Tag Tournament 2 was also later added to the roster.[48]
Evo 2015 took place on July 17–19, 2015 at the Bally's / Paris Las Vegas Casino.[49] On January 20, 2015, Cuellar announced that Evo 2015 would include Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat X, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Ultra Street Fighter IV, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Tekken 7.[50]
While EVO 2015 initially was supposed to run on the PlayStation 4 version for Ultra Street Fighter IV, the tournament instead used the Xbox 360 version, due to a large number of bugs and glitches found by players in the newly released port.[51] Cuellar also confirmed that EVO 2015 would use the technically outdated build of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax on PlayStation 3.[52] On May 25, Cuellar confirmed that both Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U surpassed 1,500 entrants each. Cuellar later confirmed that Ultra Street Fighter IV surpassed 2,000 entrants.[53][54] EVO 2015 also acted as a Capcom Cup qualifier for Ultra Street Fighter IV, as well as a Killer Instinct World Cup qualifier for Killer Instinct, with both games receiving respective bonus pots of $50,000 from Capcom/Sony and Iron Galaxy/Microsoft respectively.[55][56][57] NetherRealm and Warner Bros. have also donated $50K towards the bonus pot for Mortal Kombat X, due to the success of the Blue Steel Sub-Zero skin.[58] In addition, Atlus has donated $10K towards the bonus pot for Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, while Arc System Works and Aksys Games donated the same amount to the bonus pot for Guilty Gear Xrd.[59] Bandai Namco has announced that they have provided a $30K bonus pot for Tekken 7 as well as providing all competitors in said game an exclusive T-shirt featuring franchise veteran Lili and Tekken Revolution newcomer Eliza.[60]
Evo 2016 took place from July 15–17 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, while Sunday finals took take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The tournament featured Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-, Street Fighter V, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Mortal Kombat XL, Pokkén Tournament, Killer Instinct, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Tekken 7: Fated Retribution. The tournaments for Street Fighter V, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Mortal Kombat XL finished on Sunday.[61] The finals for Street Fighter V was broadcast live on ESPN2 and live coverage of the tournament was available through ESPN's WatchESPN service, in addition to the tournament's regular Twitch streams.[62]
Joey Cuellar has announced record breaking numbers which includes Street Fighter V reaching more than 5,000 entrants, Smash 4 and Melee each reaching more than 2,000; Pokkén reaching more than 1,000 entrants while other games either increased or decreased.[63] Like EVO 2015's Ultra Street Fighter IV finals, Capcom and Sony have provided a $50,000 bonus pot towards Street Fighter V's prize pool and is also a Capcom Pro Tour qualifier.[64] The Pokémon Company has announced a $10,000 bonus pot towards Pokkén Tournament's prize pool and is a Pokkén Tournament Championship Series qualifier, with 1st and 2nd place being able to qualify for the finals.[65] As with EVO 2015, NetherRealm and Warner Bros. have provided a $50,000 bonus pot towards Mortal Kombat XL's prize pool.[66] Killer Instinct will be receiving a $15,000 bonus pot as part of the KI Ultra Tour funding.[67] On July 11, Aksys Games announced a $10,000 bonus pot towards Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-'s prize pool.[68]
Evo 2017 took place on July 14 to 16 with the entire event being held at the Mandalay Bay resort.[69] The tournament featured Guilty Gear Xrd REV2, BlazBlue: Central Fiction, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Injustice 2, Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, The King of Fighters XIV, and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.[70][71][72] The ninth game was chosen by a donation drive which all of the funds have gone towards Make-A-Wish International. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was the winning game with Pokkén Tournament being the runner-up. Other games in contention were Skullgirls: 2nd Encore, ARMS, Mortal Kombat XL, Nidhogg, Windjammers, Killer Instinct, and Super Street Fighter II Turbo. The Sunday finals included Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (as the opening game), BlazBlue: Central Fiction, Tekken 7, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Street Fighter V.[73] Upon the victory of UMvC3, Cuellar announced that Evo 2017 would be running the event with the PlayStation 4 version being used.[74]
Evo 2018 took place on August 3 to 5 with the entire event being held at the Mandalay Bay resort.[75] The tournament featured Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, Tekken 7, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Super Smash Bros. Melee, BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle, Guilty Gear Xrd REV2, Injustice 2, and Dragon Ball FighterZ.[76]
Evo 2019 took place on August 2 to 4 with the entire event being held at the Mandalay Bay resort.[77] The tournament featured Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, Tekken 7, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mortal Kombat 11, Soulcalibur VI, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st], Dragon Ball FighterZ, BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, and Samurai Shodown.
2020–present: COVID-19 cancellation and new ownership
[edit]Evo 2020 was to have taken place from July 31 to August 2 at the Mandalay Bay resort. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the physical event had been canceled, with all event and hotel reservations to be refunded. Online tournament events had been scheduled from July 4 to August 2 as replacement activities.[78] However, at the start of July 2020, charges of sexual misconduct were leveled at EVO CEO Joey Cuellar. The EVO board released Cuellar on July 2 and replaced him with Tony Cannon as interim CEO but by then, several publishers including Capcom, Bandai Namco, NetherRealm, and Mane6 had decided to pull out from the event. The EVO board decided to cancel the event, refund those tickets and donate the remaining funds to Project HOPE.[79]
On March 18, 2021, it was announced that Evo had been acquired by a joint venture between Sony Interactive Entertainment and the talent agency Endeavor (RTS). It was concurrently announced that Evo Online 2021 will be held August 6–8 and August 13–15, 2021, and feature Guilty Gear Strive, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, Tekken 7, and Skullgirls: 2nd Encore. Evo stated that the Sony ownership of the competition will not affect its ability to include events for non-PlayStation games, although all games in the 2021 lineup are either available on, or console-exclusive to, PlayStation.[80][81]
Evo 2022 took place from August 5 to 7 at the Mandalay Bay resort. The event is the first since 2019 to take place in-person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament featured Dragon Ball FighterZ, Granblue Fantasy: Versus, Guilty Gear Strive, The King of Fighters XV, Melty Blood: Type Lumina, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, Skullgirls: 2nd Encore, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, and Tekken 7.[82]
Evo 2023 was announced for August 4 to 6, with Street Fighter 6, Guilty Gear Strive, Dragon Ball FighterZ, The King of Fighters XV, Melty Blood: Type Lumina, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate and Tekken 7 all being featured. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was also announced as the eighth game of the lineup, serving to launch a new category dubbed a Throwback Tournament. Additionally, a pre-release tournament for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising was held, acting as the unofficial ninth lineup title. The event also underwent a format change, with finals switching from Top 8 to Top 6, seemingly due to runtime concerns.[83]
With 9,182 entrants, Evo 2023 was the largest Evo tournament in its over two decade history.[84]
EVO 2024 took place from July 19 to 21 and was held in the Las Vegas Convention Center. The lineup included Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Mortal Kombat 1, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes], Guilty Gear -Strive-, and The King of Fighters XV, with Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike being the year's Throwback Tournament in celebration of both the 25th anniversary of the game, as well as the 20th anniversary of Moment #37.[85]
Outside Vegas
[edit]In 2010, the Evolution Championship organizers announced an official spin-off to the tournament series called "Evo vs Godsgarden", to be held in Japan the following year. However, the tournament was called off following the Tohoku earthquake and postponed indefinitely. During a Nico Nico livestream following Evo 2013, Cuellar stated that he was still interested in holding a Japan-based tournament.[86]
It was announced at Evo 2016 that a separate event simply titled "Evo Japan" is to be held in Japan.[87] Japanese media companies Aetas, Hearts United Group, and Shochiku Broadcasting together invested a total of US$1 million into the event.[88] During a presentation at the Tokyo Game Show in 2016, the Evolution organizers announced that the tournament is to be held in January 2018, while some form of "pre-tournament" took place in 2017.[89]
At Evo 2017, the Evo Japan 2018 lineup was revealed to consist of Street Fighter V, Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2, Tekken 7, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, BlazBlue: Central Fiction, The King of Fighters XIV, and ARMS; the event took place from January 26 to 28.[90] The lineup is known to emphasize titles that are popular in Japan, as titles such as Super Smash Bros. Melee, Injustice 2, and Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite are notably absent mostly due to their lack of popularity in the region.[91][92]
Despite the 7,000 entrants, Evo Japan ended up reporting a $1.13m loss according to financial reports by Hearts United Group.[93]
Evo Japan 2019 was held in February 2019.
In October 2019, it was revealed that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would be the headlining game for Evo Japan 2020.[94]
Following EVO 2022, the Evo Japan 2023 tournament was unveiled.[95] This will have a lineup of Guilty Gear Strive, Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, The King of Fighters XV, Granblue Fantasy: Versus, Melty Blood: Type Lumina, and Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown. The event was planned to take place in March 2023.[96]
In August 2023, it was announced that the Evo Japan 2024 tournament will be held in April 2024.[97] The year's lineup included Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Guilty Gear Strive, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, The King of Fighters XV, and Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes], with Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike as the Throwback Tournament.
August 2023 also saw an announcement that Evo will be introducing a third event in a new location in 2024.[98]
In July 2024, it was announced that the third event, Evo France, would take place in Nice on October 10-12 2025, with the lineup consisting of Street Fighter 6, Guilty Gear Strive, Tekken 8, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves and Dragon Ball FighterZ.[99] Additionally, it was also announced that a fourth event would debut in Singapore in 2026, and that a new awards show called the Evo Awards would take place February 2025 in Los Angeles.[100][101] In December, it was announced that Evo Japan would take place on May 9-11 2025 in Tokyo, with a lineup consisting of Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Guilty Gear Strive, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising and The King of Fighter XV, with Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike and Virtua Fighter 5 REVO being featured in special 5-on-5 team tournaments.[102]
Events
[edit]Battle by the Bay
[edit]| Event | Dates | Venue | Location | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B3: Battle by the Bay | July 19-20, 1996 | Golfland Arcade Hall | Sunnyvale, California | Super Street Fighter II Turbo Street Fighter Alpha 2 |
| B4 Championships | July 15-16, 2000 | Gameroom Folsom | Folsom, California | Super Street Fighter II Turbo Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Street Fighter Alpha 2 Street Fighter Alpha 3 Marvel vs. Capcom 2 |
| B5 Championships | August 3-5, 2001 | Gameroom Folsom | Folsom, California | Super Street Fighter II Turbo Street Fighter Alpha 3 Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Capcom vs. SNK |
Evo
[edit]AnimEvo
[edit]| AnimEvo 2018 | August 3-5, 2018 | Mandalay Bay Convention Center | Paradise, Nevada | Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R Granblue Fantasy Windjammers Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late(st) BlazBlue: Central Fiction Melty Blood: Actress Again Current Code Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star) Persona 4 Arena Ultimax TMNT: Tournament Fighters Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax Ignition Koihime Enbu: RyoRaiRai Arcana Heart 3: Love Max Six Stars Aquapazza: Aquaplus Dream Match Sailor Moon S Vampire Savior Yatagarasu Gundam Versus Akatsuki Blitzkampf Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars Samurai Shodown II Samurai Shodown V Special Garou: Mark of the Wolves The King of Fighters XIV |
| AnimEvo 2019 | August 2-4, 2019 | Mandalay Bay Convention Center | Paradise, Nevada | |
| AnimEvo Online | August 7-31, 2020 | Virtual | Virtual |
Evo Japan
[edit]Vortex Gallery
[edit]| Event | Dates | Venue | Location | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vortex Gallery 2021 | September 3-October 2, 2021 | Virtual | Virtual | |
| Vortex Gallery Winter Gaiden | February 25-March 14, 2022 | Virtual | Virtual | |
| Vortex Gallery 2022 | August 5-6, 2022 | Mandalay Bay Convention Center | Paradise, Nevada | |
| Vortex Gallery 2023 | February 10-March 5, 2023 | Virtual | Virtual | |
| Vortex Gallery 2024 @ Frosty Faustings XVI | January 25-28, 2024 | Westin Lombard Hotel | Lombard, Illinois | |
| Vortex Gallery 2025 @ Frosty Faustings XVII | January 23-26, 2025 | Westin Lombard Hotel | Lombard, Illinois |
Evo Awards
[edit]| Event | Dates | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evo Awards 2025 | February 2025 | TBA | Los Angeles, California |
Evo France
[edit]| Event | Dates | Venue | Location | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evo France 2025 | October 10-12, 2025 | Palais des Expositions | Nice, France | Street Fighter 6 Guilty Gear Strive Tekken 8 Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Dragon Ball FighterZ |
Evo Singapore
[edit]| Event | Dates | Venue | Location | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evo Singapore 2026 | February 2026 | TBA | Singapore |
Champions
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Evo Championship Series". Evo.shoryuken.com. April 18, 2013. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ "Sony Interactive Entertainment and New Esports Venture, RTS, Jointly Acquire the Evolution Championship Series (Evo)" (Press release). March 18, 2021.
- ^ Crecente, Brian. Fighting to Play: The History of the Longest Lived Fighting Game Tournament in the World. Kotaku. October 6, 2008.
- ^ "Daigo and JWong: the legacy of Street Fighter's Moment 37". August 25, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ Walbridge, Michael. In-Depth: Inside The EVO 2009 Fighting Game Championships. Gamasutra. July 22, 2009.
- ^ a b c Kleckner, Stephen. Spotlight on the Evolution 2K4 Fighting Game Tournament. GameSpot. 2004.
- ^ "Evo2k.com". Evo2k.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ a b Cuellar, Joey (September 15, 2013). "Evo 2014 Announced!". Shoryuken. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
- ^ Brathwate, Brandon (July 23, 2018). "OPINION: The Past, Present, and Future of Evo Makes It Prime for Investment". The Esports Observer.
- ^ Learned, John (July 17, 2017). "The Oral History of EVO: The Story of the World's Largest Fighting Game Tournament". USGamer.
- ^ a b Virtua Kazama (July 13, 2015). "The History of EVO (Part 1): B3-EVO 2002". Destructoid. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015.
- ^ Walker, Ian (August 4, 2018). "Evo Sidelined Marvel Vs. Capcom Players But They Killed It Anyway". Kotaku.
- ^ Park, Edward (February 17, 2020). "Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 in Evolution Championship Series". The Quad. West Chester University.
- ^ "B5 TechTV coverage". TechTV. 2001.
- ^ "Tournament Results". www.evo2k.com. August 2, 2004. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ^ "Book in the works about EVO moment #37, the Daigo parry". Event Hubs. December 3, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
- ^ Kuchera, Ben (February 24, 2012). "The Beast is Unleashed: Capcom's Seth Killian explains the most famous minute in competitive gaming". Penny Arcade. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
- ^ "Archived copy". evo2k.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2006. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "EVO 2006 Championship Series, powered by Yaris". February 2, 2007. Archived from the original on February 2, 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ Livingston, Tim (August 19, 2008). "EVO 2K8: Fighting Games Personified". Sports Joystick. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ^ "Evo 2008 Results". www.evo2k.com. August 10, 2008. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ^ Womack, Barrett (September 5, 2014). "Competitive Leadership: The War for Smash 4". Red Bull eSports. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
- ^ Hinkle, David (February 3, 2009). "EVO 2009 Championship Series coming to Las Vegas in July". Joystiq. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ^ "EVO 2009 results for Street Fighter 4, HD Remix, more". EventHubs. July 20, 2009. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ^ Fan, Davis (August 4, 2009). "Evolution Championship Series 2009 Report". The O-Network. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ^ [1] Archived July 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Jake Gaskill (July 8, 2010). "G4 And Capcom Team Up For Epic EVO 2010 Coverage". G4tv.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ "Evo2k.com". Evo2k.com. Archived from the original on November 30, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ "EVO 2011 Wrap Up and Thanks". shoryuken.com. August 2, 2011. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
- ^ "EVO2K11 Smashes Online Viewership Records". iplaywinner.com. August 4, 2011. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
- ^ Ashcraft, Brian (August 1, 2011). "2012 Will Get A New Super Street Fighter IV Version". Kotaku. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
- ^ "Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Gameplay Movie 1 (Arcade Games) Check out the demo of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 as it was seen at EVO 2011". GameSpot. August 1, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Plunkett, Luke (August 1, 2011). "Soul Calibur V Turned EVO 2011 Into The Stage Of History". Kotaku. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
- ^ a b "King of Fighters XIII EVO 2011 Interview (PlayStation 3)". GameSpot. August 1, 2011. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
- ^ "Participate in the Skullgirls Side Tourney at EVO, Win a One-of-a-Kind Stick". iPlayWinner. August 1, 2011. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
- ^ "Evo2k11: Interview with producer Yoshinori Ono". Destructoid. August 1, 2011. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
- ^ "EVO 2012 Goes Down July 6th - 8th, 2012 at Caesars Palace". iPlayWinner. October 17, 2011. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Introducing the Evo 2012 Game Lineup and Tournament Season!". shoryuken.com. January 3, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
- ^ Cuellar, Joey (December 2, 2012). "Evo 2013, July 12-14 at Paris Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas". Shoryuken. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ^ Cannon, Tom (January 8, 2013). "Evo 2013 Details! Game Lineup, Get Your Game to Evo, and Road to Evo Events". Shoryuken. Archived from the original on November 27, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ^ Cannon, Tom (February 1, 2013). "Fighting Game Fans Raise over $225,000 for Breast Cancer Research. Smash Wins!". Shoryuken. Archived from the original on January 30, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
- ^ Cannon, Tom (July 9, 2013). "Update: Smash is Back!! Changes to Evo 2013 Smash Schedule". Shoryuken. Archived from the original on July 14, 2013. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
- ^ Groen, Andrew (July 9, 2013). "Nintendo yanks Super Smash Bros. streaming from EVO, just as quickly reverses decision". The PA Report. Archived from the original on July 14, 2013. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
- ^ Cannon, Tom (February 1, 2013). "Injustice: Gods Among Us Added to Official EVO 2013 Lineup". Shoryuken. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
- ^ Cannon, Tom. "Evo 2014 Lineup Revealed!". Shoryuken. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- ^ Cannon, Tom (March 12, 2014). "Super Smash Bros. Melee Joins the Evo 2014 Roster!". Shoryuken. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
- ^ Corriea, Alexa Ray (March 12, 2014). "Super Smash Bros. Melee joins Evo 2014 roster with Nintendo's approval". Polygon. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
- ^ "Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Added to the Evo 2014 Lineup, Bandai Namco Joins as Sponsor". Shoryuken. April 3, 2014. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- ^ Walker, Ian (October 28, 2014). "Evolution Championship Series Returns July 17–19 at Bally's / Paris Las Vegas". Shoryuken. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- ^ Walker, Ian (January 20, 2015). "Evo 2015 Lineup Announced; Street Fighter, Persona, Tekken, and More!". Shoryuken. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- ^ "Ultra Street Fighter 4 tournament play at Evo 2015 shifts to Xbox 360 after shaky PS4 launch". Polygon. June 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ Walker, Ian. "EVO 2015 to use Persona 4 Arena Ultimax's technically outdated PS3 version". shoryuken.com. Shoryuken. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ Walker, Ian. "Smash 4, Melee, and Street Fighter numbers are ridiculous". shoryuken.com. Shoryuken. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ Macone, John (June 21, 2015). "Ultra Street Fighter IV surpasses 2,000 entrants at EVO 2015". eventhubs.com. Eventhubs. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
- ^ "EVO 2015 to act as a Capcom Cup qualifier". capcomprotour.com. Capcom. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "EVO 2015 to act as a Killer Instinct World Cup qualifier". ultraarcade.com. Ultra Arcade. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ Walker, Ian. "Killer Instinct Community Fund Reaches $100,000 Goal in Three Days: EVO 2015 to receive half of the money". shoryuken.com. Shoryuken. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ Walker, Ian. "Mortal Kombat X receives $50K Bonus Pot from NetherRealm and Warner Bros. for EVO 2015". shoryuken.com. Shoryuken. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ Walker, Ian. "Atlus Drop $10K Pot Bonus Towards EVO 2015 Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Prize Pool". shoryuken.com. Shoryuken. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ^ Walker, Ian. "Bandai Namco provides $30K Bonus Pot and Exclusive T-Shirts for Tekken 7 competitors". shoryuken.com. Shoryuken. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
- ^ Walker, Ian. "EVO 2016 Lineup Revealed". shoryuken.com. Shoryuken. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
- ^ Yang, Angela (July 2016). "ESPN2 to Televise Street Fighter V World Championship from the Evolution Championship Series Final July 17". ESPN MediaZone. ESPN. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
- ^ Joey Cuellar [@MrWiz] (July 7, 2016). "Evo 2016 Numbers - SFV 5107, Smash 4 - 2662, Melee - 2372, Pokken - 1180, GGxrd - 910, UMvC3 - 782, MKXL - 713, T7FR - 549, KI - 546" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Jurek, Steven. "Big changes are coming to the Capcom Pro Tour in 2016". Daily Dot. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
- ^ Walker, Ian. "Pokkén Tournament Championship Series Receives $100,000 Prize Pool". Shoryuken. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
- ^ Martin, Michael (June 20, 2016). "Mortal Kombat X gets $50,000 pot bonus for Evo 2016". Yahoo! eSports. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
- ^ Rukari (June 29, 2016). "LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR EVO 2016!". Ultra Combo. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ^ Mikuthulhu. "EVO 2016: POT BONUSES, DAISUKE AND MORI, BBCF; OH BOY!". Aksys Games. Archived from the original on July 14, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ^ S. Good, Owen (November 16, 2016). "Evo 2017 is back in Las Vegas this July". Polygon. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
- ^ Kwilinski, Darin (January 25, 2017). "Evo 2017 lineup announced, Melee missing from Sunday finals". ESPN. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
- ^ Arif, Shabana (January 25, 2017). "EVO 2017 lineup includes Injustice 2 alongside tournament staples like Super Smash Melee and Wii U". VG247. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
- ^ Porter, Matt (January 25, 2017). "EVO 2017 Game Line-up Announced". IGN. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
- ^ Khan, Imad (February 8, 2017). "Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 wins Evo vote, raises over $71,000 for charity". ESPN. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ Joey Cuellar [@MrWiz] (February 8, 2017). "We will be using the PlayStation 4 version of Marvel for the grand finale of UMvC3 at Evo 2017! #Evo2017" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ S. Good, Owen. "Prepare for the next fight: Evo 2018's date and location revealed in the official announcement trailer". Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ McWhertor, Michael (February 6, 2018). "Evo 2018 lineup includes Street Fighter 5, Melee and Dragon Ball". Polygon. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ^ Sildra, Zavian (February 26, 2019). "The Evo 2019 main stage game lineup has been revealed!". Shoryuken. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
- ^ Carpenter, Nicole (May 1, 2020). "Evo 2020 canceled due to coronavirus pandemic, online event coming". Polygon. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- ^ O'Conner, James (July 2, 2020). "EVO 2020 Has Been Cancelled". GameSpot. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
- ^ Machkovech, Sam (March 18, 2021). "Sony acquires world's largest fighting-game tourney series". Ars Technica. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
- ^ Good, Owen S. (March 18, 2021). "Sony acquires Evo fighting games championship series". Polygon. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
- ^ Dinsdale, Ryan (March 9, 2022). "EVO 2022 Lineup Announced: Street Fighter V, Tekken 7 Headline This Year's Event". IGN. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ "Evo 2023 line-up announcement features Street Fighter 6 and brings old Marvel 3 players out of retirement". VG247. February 22, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ Glaze, Virginia (August 6, 2023). "EVO founders awarded key to the City of Las Vegas as EVO Day is born". Dexerto. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ Romano, Sal (August 6, 2023). "EVO 2024 set for July 26 to 28". Gematsu. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ Corriea, Alexa Ray (July 15, 2013). "EVO Japan can still happen, says tournament founder". Polygon.
- ^ McWhertor, Michael (July 17, 2016). "Evo Japan announced, more details at Tokyo Game Show". Polygon.
- ^ Martin, Michael (September 7, 2016). "Japanese media invests $1 million in Evo Japan". Yahoo esports.
- ^ Martin, Michael (September 15, 2016). "Evo Japan coming in January 2018". Yahoo Esports.
- ^ Ramos, Jeff (July 16, 2017). "Evo Japan will mark Arms' fighting game tournament debut". Polygon. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ^ Mejia, Ozzie (July 16, 2017). "EVO 2017: Evo Japan 2018 lineup includes Street Fighter 5, ARMS, and more". Shacknews. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ^ Leack, Jonathan (July 17, 2017). "ARMS Is Joining EVO Japan 2018's Lineup". Game Revolution. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ^ Mitrevski, Lydia (May 13, 2018). "EVO Japan reports $1.13m loss due to lack of sponsorship". eSports Insider. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
- ^ Purslow, Matt (October 14, 2019). "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Will Be Evo Japan 2020's Main Title". IGN. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
- ^ Ashley, Jordan (August 8, 2022). "EVO Japan Returns in 2023 – Line-Up, Dates and Event Info". Esports.net. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
- ^ Hazra, Adriana (November 7, 2022). "EVO Japan 2023 Tournament Reveals Full Main Game Lineup". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- ^ Romano, Sal (August 6, 2023). "EVO Japan 2024 set for April 27 to 29". Gematsu. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ https://twitter.com/EVO/status/1688369539229327360 [bare URL]
- ^ https://x.com/Evo_France/status/1850499354714316988
- ^ "BONUS STAGE We are pleased to reveal where Evo is headed next for a brand-new event, live at #Evo2024. Introducing: Evo France, taking place October 10-12 in Nice, France" – via X.
- ^ "As we continue to bring the Evo experience to new audiences and new locations, we are excited to give a sneak peak[sic] of where we're going in 2026. Stay tuned for more details on what Evo has in store in Singapore" – via X.
- ^ https://www.evojapan.gg/en/news/10010
External links
[edit]
| Key personnel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||