Fighting game enthusiasts can celebrate today, as the main stage lineup for the Evo Championship Series has been confirmed for the next year. On July 19 through 21, eight games, including Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and Mortal Kombat 1, will be shown over three days on the main stage at Evo 2024.
The fighting game community's Vicious, MajinObama, and other members organized a special webcast today when the news was revealed. Even though there are a lot of games played during Evo, including those that are played outside the venue in hotel lobbies, on stage, or in side tournaments, these are the ones that will be the main attractions this year:
- Tekken 8
- Street Fighter 6
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Guilty Gear Strive
- The King of Fighters XV
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
- Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes
- Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
It should come as no surprise that Street Fighter 6 is participating, considering its record-breaking entrants from the previous year and astonishing grand finals. Tekken 8 is expected to uphold the heritage of its predecessors, and by all reports, it is doing well. These two are probably going to vie for the most participants in this year's celebrations in Las Vegas. In its Evo premiere, fellow newcomer Mortal Kombat 1 also makes an appearance, under the NetherRealm banner.
Guilty Gear Strive , the ostensibly biggest 2D anime fighter available, completes the predicted giants, and SNK enters the fray with The King of Fighters XV. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising and Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes have also received spots, giving anime fans even more games to enjoy in Las Vegas.
The all-time favorite throwback game, Street Fighter III: Third Strike, is a great appeal for both new and seasoned gamers. The flashback game for this year has significant historical value for the fighting game genre, and Evo will be honoring the iconic title with a tournament. I'm excited to see who turns up for the next battle, especially considering how highly esteemed this one is.
There's a new location
Evo will soon have a new site in addition to other adjustments. Evo will now take place in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, with the exhibition floor open for business all three days. Instead of merely being open on Friday or Saturday, publisher booths, artist alley, and more will be open for business all three days. There will also seem to be a larger-than-before BYOC section.
The Evo Community Stage and the Evo Showcase are back for panels and publisher announcements. It's also a great change that the Evo ticket now grants you access to the public show floor as well as the arena. This year, there won't be any division of the eight games; they will all take place on the arena stage.
If you wish to attend in person, all the information about attendance is available on the Evo website where tickets go live. Overall, the roster is quite predictable, but that's not necessarily a negative thing since fighting games are excellent right now, and the combination of new titles and well-known favorites should make for an excellent Evo 2024.